The Elementalist
by pepperPOP
Summary: Follow the adventure of Ari, a young girl with a dream of collecting all of Eevee's illustrious evolutions, as she travels through Kanto with partner Jack. Eventual romance. Rated T for eventual language.
1. Only The Beginning

"Aquatrix! Aquatrix, dinner!" I called as I pushed open the screen door, one hand cupped around my mouth. I waited and counted patiently in my head. _3… 2… 1… _The alarmingly blue shape leapt gracefully out of the large pond behind my family's little flat in Vermillion City and came bounding towards me. I knelt down to catch the barreling Pokémon, giggling as the vaporeon leapt into my arms and tackled me to the ground. We wrestled for a few seconds, water dripping onto my shirt from her smooth skin. I held her away from me as she licked my nose, her little jaunty grin plastered to her face. I laughed as I got up, breathing heavily. I put the small blue bowl I had placed carefully on the ground to avoid being smashed in the wake of my little blue tornado in front of her and she dug in. I smiled.

"I'll be inside. Dry off before you come in." she gave a small yelp of agreement before I went inside my house. I was a satisfying 5'5" for my 13 years, and not alarmingly skinny at 110 lbs. I had pale skin and long black hair that I kept in a braid down to my waist, with two locks left to frame my face. Then there were ice blue eyes over a thin nose and medium sized lips. My twin brother, Sam, who was identical in all but hair length, was spooning rice onto his already loaded plate. He had quite a voracious appetite and would eat just about anything. I'd gotten him to eat some of Aquatrix's food before. I grinned at memory and sat down as my mother spooned some of her godly food onto my plate. My mother owned a small but extremely successful fancy restaurant down the street, Aquatrix, named after our very own vaporeon. It's no mystery why she was the restaurant's mascot. I sighed in pleasure as I took a bite out of a particularly juicy piece of marinated tofu and the rest of my family, mother and father, sat down.

"So, Arabel," my father said to me after slurping up a particularly long noodle. I tried not to laugh.

"Yes father?" I replied, chewing delicately on a pepper, hoping I'd finally get the answer I'd been awaiting for what seemed like months, though it was only this morning.

"Your mother and I have considered your request." I waited silently. Just like dad to draw things out. I gave him a pointed look and he chuckled. "Yes." Inside I was cheering with joy. Outside I gave my parents a simple thankful smile. I was going to leave on a Pokémon journey in a few days with Aquatrix as my companion. I'd already talked it over with her. I knew exactly what I was going to do. The five evolutions of eevee had always intrigued me. One Pokémon… so many different forms. I would collect all of them, to make an ultimate team. And with them I'd be a great coordinator. I knew, of course, it would take a lot of work, but god knew how willing I was.

Sam looked at my father and he looked back. "You too." He cheered wildly, so different from me, almost breaking the glass water Pokémon mobile hanging from the ceiling. My mother had once been the gym leader for Cerulean city, a gifted swimmer with a talent for taming water Pokémon. She had retired, though, when she met her match with Daisy, Lily, and Violet, an incredible sister-trainer team who beat her water Pokémon with their own. She smiled at my brother.

"Your uncle Aki says that Bolt, his pikachu, had a run-in with his neighbor's ditto. He has an egg he'd be willing to give you."

"REALLY?" Sam almost shouted. He was in love with electric Pokémon and practically worshiped Lt. Surge, our gym leader, who used electric Pokémon. My mother rubbed her temples. "Yes," she replied calmly with only a hint of exasperation in her voice. My brother held up a hand for a high five. I rolled my eyes and obliged as he danced around the kitchen, whooping with joy. Finally, my calm exploded.

"Sam, would you shut up and sit down!" I shouted. He grinned at me and plopped down in his seat. Our parents grinned at each other and shook their heads. I simply smiled and popped a last piece of tofu in my mouth.

As we passed around the chocolate pudding my mom had made for desert, our parents looked at us.

"When do you plan to leave?" asked my mom. I thought for a moment.

"Tomorrow morning probably. I can't wait." They nodded thoughtfully and my dad looked at his watch, then fished his wallet out of his pocket.

"Well, run down to the Pokémon Center and ask Nurse Joy for the Pokémon Trainer Starter Pack we bought for you." He told me, handing me some money. I gaped and smiled, positive my eyes were glowing. I thanked him profusely and dashed out the backdoor, only to appear a minute later and dash out the front door with Aquatrix right behind me. I stood outside the Pokémon center a minute and 32 seconds later, a personal record, I might add, bent over and gasping for breath. Quickly recovering, I walked into the Center and up to the counter.

"Nurse Joy?" I asked hesitantly. A chansey poked her head over the counter, gave me a smile and disappeared, coming back with Nurse Joy seconds later.

"Oh, hello Arabel!" she said with a smile. She knew me from the summers I'd worked at the center as her helper. "And hello to you too, Aquatrix." Aquatrix yelped quietly in response. Nurse Joy reached under the counter and pulled out a small package wrapped in Pokéball printed wrapping paper and tied with a bow. "Open it here," Nurse Joy said, "I'll explain what's in it." I stared at the package until Aquatrix nudged me and I broke from my haze.

I carefully pulled the bow out and unwrapped the paper without tearing it. I pulled out the first thing I saw, a small, laminated ID card. It was blank so far, except for my name and 8 spaces for badges.

"That's your trainer ID card," explained Nurse Joy. "You use that to get money from your bank account, keep track of your badges, trades with other trainers and your Pokédex data." I nodded. "We'll take a picture for the card and set up your account later. When you scan your card into your Pokédex or bank machine, it'll automatically update." She told me. I nodded again. She pulled out a digital camera and took my picture. I smiled and held out my index and middle fingers in a peace sign. While she uploaded the picture into a computer, she explained the next thing I pulled out, my Pokédex.

"That's a Pokédex. A Pokédex keeps data on all Pokémon you've caught or seen." She taught me to open it and I recorded data on Aquatrix as my first Pokémon. Then she scanned my card into my bank account and it came up with my picture and the money my parents had already put in. Lastly, she showed me how to update my card on my Dex. Next I pulled out a small tour book of Shinou. Tucked inside it was a small ticket. I pulled it out.

"Congratulations!" it read. "You are the lucky winner of the New Trainer's Bike Lottery, Sponsored by Cerulean Bikes!" I gasped as I read the conditions of the lottery. All I had to do was turn in the ticket to the shop in Cerulean City and I could get rid of my old rickety bike for a flashy new one! The last item was a small, white sack, perfect to fit in your palm. Inside were five Pokéballs. My journey was going to start tomorrow and I couldn't wait.

----------------------------

I woke up at dawn the next morning to find a minimized Pokéball on my bedside table. I took it and it enlarged in my hand. Everything felt perfect and I pressed the little button and Aquatrix popped out. I rubbed her head affectionately before recalling her in silence. The rest of my family was asleep and I carefully pulled out five days worth of clothes, a bathing suit, a few books, a notebook and pencils, and toiletries and packed them away in my trusty black messenger bag, as well as a simple sleeping bag set and tarp for sleeping during rain. I pulled on my favorite clothes, a spaghetti strap green tank top and a brown, ruffled skirt that went to just above my knees, my black and pink sneakers and my blue fedora that I never went anywhere without. I pinned the little sack of Pokéballs to strap of my bag and sat down to wait for my family to wake, but found I was too antsy.

I got up, took a last look at my room, turned off the light and went downstairs. I was crying by the time I finished my goodbye note. I wiped my eyes and went to say goodbye to the water Pokémon in the pond, my mother's old feraligatr, swampert, lapras, and blastiose. It was a personal pride of hers of having caught the official water type starter Pokémon of each region, Johto, Hoenn and Kanto, not to mention the very rare lapras. She herself started out with an eevee, which became a vaporeon. It bred with another vaporeon and my mother kept the egg a secret until it hatched and she evolved it and gave her to me for my 10th birthday. That vaporeon was, of course, Aquatrix.

My goodbyes over, I waved a final farewell and unlocked my old rusting bike from the gate. I took off speeding over the asphalt and almost yelled in delight to the empty town. I sped out of the town on a large hill, laughing all the way. I was finally free. Navigating carefully on a dirt path, I found myself in the Vermillion Woods. I slowed my pace and almost fell of my bike when I heard someone call to me.

"Hello!" came a boy's voice. I put my legs out to stop the bike and looked to where the voice was coming from. He was a handsome boy, no doubt, he looked to be about 15, 2 years older than my 13. He flashed a bright smile. He was wearing a tight black shirt that showed off his muscles to his advantage, and dark jeans with a tear in one knee and a mud stain down the other shin. He had dark brown hair that stuck up in all directions, a thin petite nose that for some reason didn't look feminine on his face, dazzling emerald eyes and high cheekbones. He was gorgeous. I put on my best smile and smiled back.

"Hey. Arabel Nightingale. Call me Ari." I held out my hand. He returned my firm grip.

"Jack Marcum, at your service." He hadn't let go of my hand and so bent over in a bow and kissed my hand. I suppressed a giggle and demurely pulled my hand out of his grasp. He shot me a wry grin and I raised an eyebrow.

"Don't push it, " I told him in a wise voice. He chuckled.

"We've got a deal then," he told me. "You a Pokémon trainer?" he asked. I shrugged.

"A little yes, a little no. I lived in Vermillion City and I left this morning." I jerked my thumb backwards at my past. He nodded.

"I assume you have one of the starters. You look like a water trainer." I raised my eyebrows, surprised he could've guessed at my favorite type being water. "You have a squirtle?" I shook my head and opened the sack pinned to my bag. My hand instantly found vaporeon's and I called her out.

"Aquatrix! Come on out!" the ball flipped into the air and in the already familiar flash of red, she reappeared. Jack raised his eyebrows, surprised.

"Wow, for an hour of being a Pokémon trainer, you've gotten far, already finding a water stone," he said wryly. I laughed as Aquatrix sat and began to wash herself, noting that there was no water around.

"Her mother was my mother's Vaporeon. I got Aquatrix as a birthday present." I informed him, climbing off my bike and putting up the kickstand. He nodded and I pointed to the belt on his waist that held a few Pokéballs. "And you?" He smiled and picked out the first one.

"Lunus! Come on out!" he tossed the ball into the air and a beautiful black Pokémon came out, flicking its ears this way and that, its golden rings flashing in the sunlight. Aquatrix immediately looked up and came over to inspect the newcomer, who primly sat and took it. They ended nose to nose and I watched in awe as Aquatrix submitted to the dark Pokémon. And then I gasped. Umbreon was one of the evolutions of eevee! I pulled out my Dex and flicked it open.

"When darkness falls," the Dex read out in it's digitalized voice, "umbreon's golden rings glow on its body, striking fear into the hearts of anyone nearby."

"Umbreon…" I murmured. "He's beautiful." I watched as the two Pokémon began some sort of tag game, leaping and skipping around each other, already friends. Jack smiled.

"He is. An umbreon and a vaporeon together. Rare, but beautiful," he mused. I nodded.

"I want to have all the evolutions," I told him, watching the two. "It would be an amazing team."

"That's an admirable goal," he said, staring into space. I could tell there was something else.

"But…?" I continued for him. He shrugged.

"But eevee are very rare in the wild. You've already got one, but that's only one of seven." I nodded thoughtfully. "Not many people are willing to trade their eevees either, because of the rarity. Your only option is to breed." I nodded again. As a bookworm, I'd read all about breeding.

"Well Lunus and Aquatrix seem to be getting on quite well," I said. He looked at them as if he'd only just seen them.

"Good point. But it takes a while for an egg. I would know." He reached into a small bag slung around his shoulder and pulled out a small, tan, pointed sphere, a zigzagging brown stripe going around its middle. I gasped.

"Is that a real Pokémon egg?" I asked in wonder. I'd seen pictures only in books, and they all looked different. He grinned and nodded. "Where'd you get it?" he handed it over to me and I took it cautiously, not trusting myself not to drop it. He shrugged.

"Lunus and I were traveling and had stopped for lunch when he heard something. He chased after it and I had no choice but to follow. What we found was a wild mightyena attacking a young girl and her eevee. Lunus had heard the eevee's cry. Lunus used faint attack and scared it off. To thank us, the girl gave us the egg and told us that her parents ran a daycare center and had more eggs than they could use. That particular egg was an eevee egg and the girl was looking for a wild eevee to care for it, which is what she does with her eevee, but she asked if I wanted it. I said I did." He finished his story with another shrug. I looked at him, then at Lunus, amazed he could fight off a mightyena. I sadly prepared to hand the egg back to him, but he shook his head. "Keep it." He said. I gasped, speechless.

"You're… You're giving me a-an eevee egg?" I stuttered. He grinned.

"If only to see that adorable look on your face." I grinned and poked him. My face became serious.

"But thank you. I really appreciate it. I'm already one step closer to my goal now." I smiled again and reached up to hug him. He hugged me back but we quickly let go, blushing. Hugging Jack wasn't like hugging any of my friends. Maybe it was because I didn't know him…

"How about we travel together and see if Aquatrix and Lunus will give you an egg?" he asked nonchalantly, plopping on the ground and rummaging in his bag. I kept my cool and shrugged.

"If that's cool with you," I replied in the same tone, sitting next to him. We both shrugged again, acting the part of uncaring teenager. We glanced up at each other and smiled, then laughed.

"Teenagers are pretty dumb, when you think about it," I murmured. We were on the ground now looking up at the sky through spaces in the leafy canopy. He chuckled and sat, then stood up as I followed suit.

"Do you mind if we get going? I'm trying to reach Cerulean City by tomorrow afternoon at the latest." I nodded.

"Excellent. That's where I'm going." I told him about the bike ticket. "So should I walk or ride?" I didn't want to have to stop and wait or go slowly.

"Ride," he told me. "I usually run when I travel. Lunus and I can keep up a good pace." I smiled.

"Perfect." And then we set off.


	2. Detours in Cerulean City

Second chapter up. I hope all updates will be this fast, but don't count on it. Thanks to Ali Phantom as my first reviewer.

The ride to Cerulean was one of my favorite trips. The weather was gorgeous, there were wild Pokémon everywhere. Jack taught me a lot, like how to spot Pokémon, random facts about other interesting and rare species, and a few legends. We stopped for lunch at about one. Lunus sniffed out some Oran berries, and Vaporeon found a Pinap tree. I'd packed some supplies as well, soup mixes and such, but I'd stolen last night's leftovers and ate them happily as Jack looked on with an amused smile, eating his own leftovers. We set off after giving Jack an hour to digest, energized and excited. I'd never seen outside Vermillion City, and Jack hadn't had a gym battle in a few weeks. He'd decided against fighting Surge- all he had were Lunus, a pidgeotto, a poliwhirl, and a growlithe, a dark type, flying type, water type and fire type. Nothing could give him an advantage. He decided to come back after training and catching more Pokémon.

When we arrived at Cerulean City at sunset, we were in awe. Cerulean was huge- at least twice the size of Vermillion City. Jack said it was the most high-tech city he'd seen. Giant TVs rested on office buildings, a monorail ran efficiently around the city, and pleasant police officers patrolled the streets, catching lost balloons and lost children alike and returning them to frazzled mothers. Pokémon were everywhere- butterfrees roamed small gardens along with beautiflys and dustoxes. Nidokings and nidoqueens worked as crossing guards as machokes and machamps carried heavy loads off of trucks and into buildings. We found a small restaurant to eat at, finishing our meal off and setting out for the edges of the city. Neither of us had the money to stay at a hotel and I was eager for my first night camping out. I was glad, nevertheless, for Jack's presence a few feet away as we got into our sleeping bags to sleep. Lunus was curled up next to him, but Aquatrix would get dry. Instead I slept with the small egg cuddled into my chest.

------

I woke up at around nine, getting up and stretching. I would soon learn how much Jack enjoyed sleeping in. I went a little farther into the woods, going behind a tree and pulling out a fresh set of clothes, a black skirt, white collared blouse, and grey vest with black lace. A red tie went with it and I emerged back into our clearing, shoved my feet into my shoes and found Lunus licking Jack's face. Jack was comically flailing his arms in the air, as if searching for a hidden attacker. I picked up my egg and held it in my arms as I watched, amused. Finally, Lunus gave a look of what might be exasperation in a less exalted creature and jumped onto Jack's chest, leaping quickly off as if expecting Jack to shoot forward, which, conveniently he did. He rolled his eyes and got out of his sleeping bag before noticing me. I raised an eyebrow. He grinned ruefully.

"This is normal for us." He told me apologetically, grabbing his bag off the ground. "I'll be back. I have to change." He returned a minute later, dressed in a clean black shirt with a gold ring on the front and khaki shorts, his bag slung over his shoulder. He looked at me and nodded. "Bike shop, Ari?" he asked me. I nodded.

"Bike shop." I confirmed. I hopped on my bike as he adjusted his sneakers and walked it over to the main road. When he and Lunus caught up, I pedaled furiously on the gentle upward slope to get a good pace, sighing in relief as we came over the summit and started downward. I let my arms spread wide, guiding the bike with my knees and laughing happily as I flew down the road and into Cerulean. I slowed to a halt and waited for Jack, who caught up, grinning in exasperation.

"Don't do that again," he warned me. I smiled as I began to pedal again. We stopped at an intersection, looking for someone that could direct us to the bike shop. I pursed my lips and looked around, finally spotting a female officer directing traffic with her growlithe. I beckoned her over and she arrived with a smile.

"Hey there. What can I help you with?" she asked me. I smiled back, pleased by her politeness.

"Can you tell me how to get to the Cerulean bike shop?" I asked. She nodded.

"It's on Journey Avenue, up in the north side of town," she told us helpfully. I smiled and thanked her, Jack and I quickly crossing the street and heading up a nice row of city blocks. It was like a utopia- children playing under their mothers' watchful eyes, Pokémon frolicking on the streets, in the skies, around the public gardens. And then-

"Come on! Hand 'em over!" came a thick growl. I glanced at Jack and he looked around, searching for the noise, which apparently no one had heard but us. "Come ON!" the voice said urgently. We found the source in an alley a little ways up. A strong man wearing a torn vest, a stained shirt, and dirty jeans was holding a tiny woman against the wall as she rummaged miserably in her purse. I looked at Jack.

"Time for some heroics," I muttered. He reached out to grab my arm.

"No, Ari, let's just call the-" I shook my head and dismounted, walking into the alley.

"Stop right now!" I said angrily. The man looked over, glanced me up and down, and shook his head rolling his eyes.

"So I should be scared?" he asked me, laughing. I smirked.

"You should probably be a little smarter," I retorted. He gaped, then his fat face reddened in fury. He gave an ugly sneer.

"You… You'll pay for that," he said menacingly, dropping the woman and putting a hand to his belt. He pulled out a Pokéball and popped it open. Out came diglett, quickly rooting itself in the ground. I quickly sent out Aquatrix. He looked stunned for a moment, then returned to glaring at me. The woman darted out from behind him and ran to hide behind me. I assumed Jack had gone for help.

"Quick, Aquatrix, water gun!" I shouted. Aquatrix yelped in response and let the stream shoot from her mouth.

"Underground, diglett!" the man shouted. I grimaced and Aquatrix stood her ground.

"Get ready, girl!" I told her. She gave her bark and stood absolutely still. Something occurred to me as the man gave his next order.

"Tackle!" he shouted.

"The ground, Aquatrix!" I shouted. "Feel the vibrations in the ground!" She nodded and closed her eyes, suddenly shooting into the air in her amazing jump. The man cursed as his diglett appeared where my vaporeon had been before. "Water gun again!" the fountain hit its mark and the diglett cried out, the man cursing again. "Now tackle!" I followed up. Aquatrix bolted towards her pray and slammed into it. It fell over in a dead faint. The man glared at me as he recalled his Pokémon and then dashed out the other end of the alley. Then it hit me- I'd won my first Pokémon battle. "Aquatrix you did AMAZING!" I shouted in glee. She barked happily and ran over to sit back and plant her paws on my thighs, panting in agreement. I giggled and scratched her head.

"That was amazing…" I heard someone breathe behind me. I turned around and blushed furiously. It was the male policeman Jack had fetched, and both were watching in awe. The woman I'd rescued had a simple smile on her face.

"Thank you," I murmured, looking at the ground. I was never shy with kids, but I hated talking to adults. I recalled Aquatrix.

"Was that really your first battle?" the man asked. I shrugged.

"My mother was Sara of Cerulean Gym," I explained.

"No wonder. A gym leader's daughter." He smiled kindly. "Does your vaporeon need a visit to the Pokémon Center?" he asked. I smiled and shook my head.

"She didn't get hit," I said proudly.

"Are you alright, Ma'am?" he asked the woman after nodding in surprise. She smiled.

"This young girl saved me." She said proudly. I smiled shyly again. "I think we're all right, officer. Why don't you let me treat these two to something nice?" she asked. The officer smiled and departed.

"Ma'am, it's really not necessary-" Jack began prudently. She smiled and flapped a hand idly.

"Nonsense. You saved me thousands of dollars." Jack and I glanced at each other with wide eyes, then back to her. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Carolyn Seamstress. I own the bike shop in town." We gaped and she nodded. "Yep. And I had a prototype for a new bike in my purse that's worth thousands of dollars."

"Wow," Jack murmured. Then he smiled politely- he was obviously used to dealing with adults. "Do you think you could show us where your shop is?" he asked. "That's where we were headed." Carolyn beamed.

"Oh were you?" she asked. I nodded and we stepped into the sunlight, out of the alley. I pulled my ticket out and showed it to her.

"I won the new trainer's bike contest," I told her. She beamed again and clapped her hands, shouldering her purse.

"Excellent, excellent. I'll show you to the shop and then take you out for brunch," she said, pleased.

"Oh no," Jack and I chorused, smiling at each other.

"You really don't have to-" Jack began again. She shook her head.

"Piffle. Come on, the shop is only up the street." With that, she marched up the road. Jack and I exchanged glances and then followed her up.

"We can't afford to pass up free breakfast anyway," he murmured to me. I nodded and continued walking my bike up the road. We turned right and went into the first shop, a large one stacked and filled to the brim with bikes. Carolyn moved behind the counter and gazed at us as I leaned my bike against an already bike-filled wall.

"Well if you've got the winning ticket, I've got no choice but to give your friend here a bike," she said calmly, scribbling something down on a notepad in front of her. "Two seconds," she called, scurrying back into her back room. We gaped at each other.

"We should save more women in alleys," Jack whispered. I cracked a smile but straightened my face to awe as the Carolyn returned with two bikes. One was a gold color with black streaks in it, and bigger, obviously meant for Jack. The second was hot blue with darker blue fin designs on it. "Vaporeon" was spelled in curly letters on one beam. Carolyn smiled.

"I thought it was fitting," she said. I managed to smile weakly and went forward to accept the bike, Jack right behind me. I looked over it carefully and measured it against my side. It seemed the perfect height, and a tiny basket was attached to the basket- perfect for my egg. I smiled at her.

"Carolyn, I… thank you so much!" I breathed. She smiled.

"Of course. But what's your name?" she asked me. "And yours?" she nodded at Jack.

"I'm Jack Marcum and this is Arabel Nightingale." He said gesturing to me, his eyes still locked on the bike. Carolyn smiled again.

"Give me a moment," she said, disappearing into the back of her shop again. She came back with two small packages. "Food. It's not gourmet, but it'll last you," she told us, shoving the bags into our hands. "I'll let you just take off on these. I love to see kids happy on their bikes," she admitted. We smiled at her.

"Thank you so much, Miss Seamstress," I said demurely. She nodded and waved us out of the shop.

"I'll recycle the parts from your old bike," she told me. "And I'll be off to the post office now," she said, shaking Jack's hand firmly and gripping my shoulder briefly. Jack smiled.

"I'll get Sky, my pidgeotto, to escort you," he said.

"Oh, no that's not-" she began, but Jack was already pulling out his Pokéball out. He pushed the button and I watched in wonder as a pidgeotto spiraled into the sky. I'd never seen one that close before. Carolyn smiled.

"I guess I have no choice. Are you kids heading right out of town?" she asked. Jack shook his head.

"I'm on my way to challenge Misty," he told her.

"Ah," she said knowingly. "The Pokémon center is just down the street from the gym. Sky should know to meet you there?" she queried. Jack nodded.

"Thank you," I said.

"Good luck," she replied with a twinkle in her eyes as she set off, Sky tailing her from above. Jack turned to me.

"Wow," he murmured. I simply laughed.

"Come on, I wanna try these out," I replied, setting off down the road with Jack close behind me. We found the street the gym was on (Gym Leader's Drive) and turned onto it, just as a call alerted us to the return of Sky, who's trek through the skies was faster than our city street biking. We pedaled past the gym, Jack in the lead, to arrive at the Pokémon center. We dismounted and locked the bikes with the locks that had come with them against the street sign marking the center. He led the way inside and the chansey led us to a private room. There was a long bed, a few counters and cabinets, a sink and a small pool for water Pokémon. The chansey motioned towards his belt, where his Pokéballs were, and departed the room. I sat next to him on the bed and he released his Pokémon, Sky still perching on his shoulder. The growlithe, after running in circles for a few seconds, settled at Jack's feet like a loving dog, the poliwhirl hopped into the pool, and Lunus sat catlike on one of the counters. Then, a harried looking nurse entered the room. I raised an eyebrow, she was almost identical to the nurse in Vermillion.

"Good morning," she said, pulling out a pen and clipboard and scarcely looking at us. "Do your Pokémon have Cerulean fever as well?" she asked, looking weary. Jack and I glanced at each other.

"Cerulean fever?" he asked, confused. "I'm about to go to the gym and I wanted a final check up," he said. She sighed happily.

"Excellent, excellent. Who's first?" she asked, suddenly bright.

"Uh, Lunus, the umbreon over there." He said. She trotted over to Lunus and began inspecting him, for what, I wasn't sure. "What's Cerulean fever?" Jack asked. She sighed as she stroked Lunus' fur.

"Make your rings glow for me," she murmured. Lunus obliged and she nodded, petting him again and looking at Jack and me. "Cerulean fever is a sickness that only Pokémon catch that's broken out here in the city. Nobody can figure out why, but Pokémon keep showing up with the same symptoms- fever, cough and decrease of power." She told us grimly, kneeling down to look at growlithe.

"That's Storm," Jack added. She smiled and continued her inspection.

"Some of the symptoms apply only to certain types." She said. I furrowed my brow.

"Certain types?" I asked. She nodded.

"Electric types will release bits of electricity at random points," she informed us. "Rock types will become brittle, soft and their defense will be lowered greatly. Fire types will have fevers going up to 108 and down to 86," she went on. I grimaced. "Poison types become so toxic, they must be kept separate from all other Pokémon," she told us sadly before asking Storm to produce a puff of fire. She fixed us with her eyes. "Things are worse than even that," she admitted, sighing as she went to poliwhirl. "Who's this?" she asked.

"Azure," Jack replied. He seemed to have good taste in names.

"Is there a cure?" I asked. She shook her head.

"I've brought in nurses and doctors from all over Kanto, but no one can figure it out," she murmured as she watched Azure do laps. "Even the police are on it," she sighed. I frowned.

"And it's nowhere else?" I asked. She shook her head and put her fingers at Azure's pulse spot.

"I've heard no reports on it. It's not even on the outlying routes," she told us as she got to her feet and held out an arm. Sky drifted primly from her perch to the nurse's arm with a quiet call.

"Then it has to be in the city," I mused. She nodded.

"We know that, we just can't figure out the source," she said. She stroked Sky's crest and bounced her arm. The Pokémon flapped her wings instinctively.

"Nurse Joy, nurse Joy!" came a child's voice. Nurse Joy, same name as the one in Vermillion, much to my curiosity, turned around and we craned around her to see the breathless girl standing in the doorway. "Professor Oak has come, and chansey says to tell you there are five more sick!" she exclaimed between breaths. "They're all from the gym!" We all gasped. Nurse Joy nodded.

"Tell Professor Oak I'll meet him in a moment." She nodded and left. Joy sighed.

"Recall your Pokémon please, and I'll get a ball healing done," she ordered. Jack nodded and withdrew his Pokémon, handing the red and white orbs to her. She took them and placed them in the machine, which hummed for a few seconds before dinging. She took the balls out and handed them to Jack.

"Looks like you won't be fighting Misty until the sickness is cured," she said. Jack and I glanced at each other, the same thought on our minds.

"Nurse Joy?" he asked. She turned on her way out the door. "Can we meet Professor Oak with you?" he said timidly.

"We'd like to help try to figure out," I explained. She watched us carefully-I was unconsciously stroking the egg in my bag and fingering the minimized Pokéball in my vest pocket; Jack was determinedly clipping his back into his belt. She smiled.

"Come on," she said, beckoning to us. "You're going to get to meet one of the most well-respected Pokémon experts in Kanto," she said with a smile.


	3. Cerulean Fever

Hello again. Another quick update. Thanks again to reviewers. Enjoy.

Nurse Joy lead us to a conference type room in the back of the center, where an old man wearing a lab coat, polo and slacks was talking animatedly to the chansey, using his hands to illustrate his points. He looked up when we entered.

"Nurse Joy! And you've got two youngsters with you, I see." He said with a smile. She smiled back and went to shake his hand.

"Professor Oak!" she exclaimed. "It's so good to have you here. You don't know how much it means to us that you're helping! The research will certainly go along faster," she told him, beaming. He blushed.

"Oh well, I mean, uh," he glanced at us, both hiding amused smiles. "Well, hello, young lady," he said. "Who might you be?" I smiled and bowed slightly. My uncle Aki had mentioned Professor Oak as an acclaimed researcher before.

"Arabel Nightingale," I said. "This is my friend, Jack Marcum." I said as he shook Oak's hand. "We travel together," I explained. He smiled.

"Very nice to meet you two," he said.

"They've offered to help figure out what the problem is," Joy told him. His smile brightened.

"Excellent, excellent." He said, shaking our hands again.

"Come sit down and I'll brief you one what we know so far. Then we can visit one of the patients," Joy murmured, gesturing to the comfortable yet practical chairs around the wooden table. I rested my bag on the floor and pulled out my egg, cradling it to my chest. Oak looked over with raised eyebrows.

"My, an eevee egg! How lucky!" he exclaimed. I flushed.

"It was a gift from Jack," I replied. Jack nodded, smiling at me.

"All right," Joy said, shuffling a pile of papers and looking around at us. "It's called Cerulean fever. Why?" she queried rhetorically. "Because it's only in Cerulean. Only." Oak raised his eyebrows.

"Nowhere else?" he asked.

"Not even in the outward routes," she affirmed. "We've brought wild Pokémon in to check and have looked for symptoms in the wild."

"The symptoms?" Oak asked. Joy nodded.

"I was getting to that. Pokémon with the sickness contract high fevers, bad coughs, and lowered power levels." She continued. Oak grimaced. "But that's not it," she informed him grimly. He squinted in dismay.

"It gets worse?" he asked. She nodded.

"Type specifics," she told him. He seemed to already know the term and I realized that one of the things Aki had told me about Oak was that he had found cures for several Pokémon diseases.

"Which are?" he prompted. She passed him a sheet and read off her own.

"Electric types have random static, water types dry out, and fire types have exaggerated fevers, both high and low. Ice types warm up dangerously and begin to object to liquids. Ground types can release tremors if they're in the ground, psychic types wreak havoc with uncontrolled powers, and ghost types do the same." Oak winced. "And poison types become so poisonous, they have to be quarantined."

"And the rock types lose defense," he murmured. Joy nodded sadly.

"But the worst hit are the grass types." She said. Jack and I glanced at each other- she hadn't mentioned grass. Oak looked up slowly. "They become brittle. If they have leaves or stems, they die. I have an ivysaur whose plant has shriveled up to almost nothing." We saw tears in her eyes and Oak reached over to pat her hand.

"Come now, Joy. Stay strong. We will find a cure," he assured her. She smiled.

"Would you like to see the patients?" she asked. He nodded grimly and stood up. She led us out of the room and minutes later we were standing in a cleansed room, looking through a glass window at several miserable looking Pokémon. It was the poison quarantine. An unconscious koffing was hooked up to too many machines and it dripped a toxic-looking liquid. An arbok lay on a hospital bed covered by glass, the air pumped in by a tube connected to an air refresher. Two grimers shared glass stall where they lay slumped together, as tired as the arbok. I turned away from the wall as Oak and Joy talked quietly. Jack rested his hand on my shoulder and smiled up at him. Joy and Oak beckoned to us and we left through a door different from the one we'd entered into. It was full of Pokémon in beds like one the arbok had occupied, covered in glass with breathing tubes.

Jack and I stayed back with Nurse Joy as Oak went from Pokémon to Pokémon, his face blank as he made notes on his clipboard. Finally, he exited and we returned to the steam room to be cleaned again before returning to the conference room and sitting down again. I quickly gathered my egg into my arms again. Jack smiled reassuringly at me and we turned to Oak.

"My first guess is new materials," he stated. Joy nodded.

"We've tried that. The last new building was put in months ago. There was no bad residue. In fact, it was a greenhouse built specifically for science experiments involving Pokémon and growing food, to see if Pokémon cultivating organic food was better than regular bugs," she informed him.

"And the building before?" he asked. Joy sifted through a sheaf of paper and pulled one out.

"Last May, an addition to Misty's gym. Before that it was an office building and a housing development two years ago." She told him. He sighed. "Could it be a poison Pokémon leaking into the water source?" she asked him. He shook his head.

"Poison from poison Pokémon is toxic, but not this toxic. And it wouldn't affect poison types so badly. You said they were the worst hit, apart from the grass?" he queried. She nodded, her chin on her hand.

"My other guess would be upstream pollution, but you said it's not showing in exiting routes?" Joy nodded.

"Nope. We've searched up and down Cerulean River. The water is clean." Oak nodded. Suddenly I had an idea.

"Professor Oak," I began timidly. "You said something about the water source," I mused. He looked at me.

"Yes?" he prompted, uncommonly interested in what I had to say.

"Perhaps it was a new toxin? One we don't know about?" I suggested. He looked thoughtful.

"It could be," he murmured.

"A mutated gene?" Jack offered. "Two toxins mixed together?"

"Perhaps something decomposing in the sewer system…" Oak mused.

"It's true, we haven't checked the sewers," Joy answered the unspoken question.

"What can you tell us about the sewers and the water source?" Oak asked. Joy thought for a moment.

"It all starts way north of the town, at the reservoir. Water collects there and is sent through a cleaning plant. One pipe leads to the sewer, where the dirty water goes, one leads to a maze of pipe work that make up the water systems in the city," she told us matter-of-factly.

"Somehow, the water got mixed," I said quietly. They turned to me and Jack caught on.

"A poison Pokémon is in the sewers, near the reservoir. Its toxic poison explains why the grass Pokémon are so badly affected," he explained. Oak began to take on an excited look.

"The already dirty water is mixed with the toxins, and…" he began. I turned sharply to Joy, who was nodding rapidly.

"Where does the sewage leak out?" I asked. She ruffled feverishly through her papers again and pulled out a sheet.

"Mt. Moon Reclamation Facility!" she exclaimed. "It's cleaned again and recycled." She murmured. We sighed. There went our theories.

"But… But…" Oak looked like he was trying hard to remember something. We watched him carefully.

"Yes!" he almost shouted, scaring me so badly I almost jumped. "The reclamation facility was closed a month ago for repairs! It was in the news!"

"And the water was streamed to the next reservoir over, right near…" Joy trailed off, suddenly white.

"The exit from Mt. Moon," Jack whispered in horror.

"Which is the only route to civilization from the mountain," I said, catching on. "So, we go to the source, find out how it got destroyed, and fix it. Then we clean the water that leads to the Mt. Moon reservoir and problem solved!" I exclaimed. And so we set to work.

----------------------------

Two hours later, dressed in a kind of scuba gear meant for traversing sewers, we found ourselves at the mouth of the Cerulean Water Cleansing Plant. A worried-looking secretary from the plant had led us to a manhole opening and another guide, used to fixing minor leaks in the pipes with his elekid to produce light. It had also succumbed to Cerulean Fever (of course) but the man still knew his way around. He told us he hadn't been down for a couple of weeks. There had been no leakage reports. As we opened the manhole and descended, the guide, Oak, Jack and I, we saw the damage immediately. It was a horrible sight. The raticate must have gotten stuck in the sewers and, using its terrible fangs, must have split the separating concrete wall. The water now mingled freely. We shuddered and the guide called up to the secretary, who called out a bulbasaur. It used vinewhip to retrieve the carcass of the raticate, drowned and dead.

Now all we had to do was follow the upper pipe, the clean, main supply, pipe and find the other Pokémon, the poison Pokémon whose toxic powers were making the dirty water dangerous. We trekked for about ten minutes in silence before our noses alerted us to its presence. It was dead, drowned like the raticate, a koffing that dripped poison fluids as it lay still, occasionally brushed farther down the pipe by a tide of sewage. Suddenly overcome, I turned to make a blind dash back to the sunlight. Jack stopped me. He grabbed my arm, teetering on the narrow sidewalk of the pipe.

"Ari, stop!" he hissed. "You got into this and now you've got to finish it," he informed me. "Think of all the Pokémon you're saving!" he reminded me. I whimpered and looked up at him piteously. He pulled me towards him, hugging me gently before letting me go. I sighed and managed to turn around, trying to make myself not look at the corpse. The guide was bundling it into a large sack. Oak turned to us.

"Very good work you two," he commended us proudly. I tried to smile. "Once they get everything cleaned up, the fever should stop popping up," he assured us. I looked up at his old face.

"But what about the Pokémon that are already sick?" I asked. "Is there a cure?" Suddenly, as Oak was about to respond, a sharp light blinded us all. Oak spun and Jack and I peaked around him to see the vague outline of some sort of horse. Or maybe it was more like a dog. Jack and I glanced at each other, then back to the light. I think I caught a flowing, purple mane, but I wasn't sure. There was a soft flash, a light blue color, and then the same color flowed all the way up and down the pipe, and a noise like rocks moving made me think that the pipe had been repaired. Suddenly I had but one thought in my mind- the clean water would save the infected Pokémon. There was another flash and the shape disappeared. We stared at each other. First to break through the haze, Jack pulled out a bottle from the water testing kit Oak had thought to bring, leaned down, and scooped a large amount of water into it. He stood up and we all looked into the bottle. The liquid practically shouted "Clean!"

Above ground with four bottles of the clean liquid, we rushed back to the Pokémon center after taking steam showers and retrieving our clothes. In the van belonging to the water company, we were all lost in our thoughts until Oak interrupted.

"Suicune…" he mumbled. Jack looked up.

"Are you sure, professor?" he asked uncertainly.

"It has to be. Did you see the gem on its forehead?" Oak asked. I hadn't seen that. Nor, apparently, had Jack.

"No, all I saw was the shape and white streamers," he replied.

"I saw a long, purple mane," I piped up. We looked at each other.

"It was suicune," Jack and Oak murmured together. I looked from one to the other in confusion before remembering a childhood story my mother used to tell me.

_Once upon a time, there was a beautiful land. It was a kingdom, and the king and the queen were good rulers, who were kind and generous. One day, the king's brother, in an attempt to get the throne, poisoned his brother and sister-in-law. The king and his queen were linked to the land itself, and as they lay, dying, the chief healer said, "There is nothing we can do. They die, and with them, the land." This saddened many people, but none so much as the princess, the king and queen's only child. So, setting off with nothing more than her lapras, she left the country in search of help. One day, after long days of traveling, she came across a pond of sparkling blue water, green grass, and abundant Pokémon. As she moved to admire it, a beautiful, blue dog appeared out of nowhere, stepping across the water like it was land. The princess curtsied and asked, "Are you the creator of this beauty?" the beast nodded and spoke to her. "I am Suicune," he replied quietly. "You who seek my dwelling must be in great need," he told her. She nodded quickly and said, "My kingdom is falling apart! My parents are sick, and with them, the land!" The beast looked saddened, but he straightened up and moved to the solid ground. He said to the girl, "I will take you to your home." Trusting him completely, the girl settled herself upon him and he dashed like a crashing wave back to her kingdom, the journey taking five minutes when hers had lasted days. Once the two stepped through the border, the grass became greener with suicune's steps. He moved all about the land, and as he did, the king and queen began to recover. When suicune was done, the citizens rejoiced and suicune was hailed as a savior._

"The legend approves it," I murmured. They nodded. "What a week," I muttered, amazed.


	4. Battles

**Hello again. This update was very quick. This one's longer than usual, but I'm too lazy to edit it right now. I enjoyed writing it, as it was my first fully fledged battle, longer than the paragraph in chapter two. Enjoy and thanks again to reviewers!**

My eyelashes fluttered weakly as I felt my body being moved. I kept them closed as I passed under a bright light and tried to remember what had happened. We had returned to the Pokémon center after our underground trip and administered a teaspoon of the pure water to all the infected Pokémon who, after a half-hour nap, had awakened bright and perfectly okay. Jack was set to have his battle tomorrow, after another checkup at the center. We had been helping Nurse Joy and professor Oak clean up and store the remaining patients in comfortable rooms when I had sat down to take a break. I most likely had fallen asleep. Passing out of the bright light, I managed to open my eyes slightly and found myself looking into Jack's emerald eyes. I blinked and opened them wider and found him smiling down at me. I jumped, but he kept a firm hold on my body.

"Calm down Ari." He murmured. "I'm just taking you back to our campsite," he assured me. I looked around and found myself in Jack's arms, bridal style. The bright light had been a streetlamp. I looked over his shoulder to find Azure hefting our bags, Lunus and Storm tugging our bikes along on ropes. Temporary training wheels seemed to be attached to keep them from falling. I assumed Sky was in her Pokéball. I mumbled something unintelligible and fell asleep again, my face buried in Jack's chest, catching a smile on his lips before my eyes fell heavily shut.

I woke up again about twenty minutes later, by my reckoning, and found Jack steadying me on my feet. Noting I was stable, he handed me my bag and ushered me behind a tree.

"Change." He ordered. "I'll get out your sleeping bag," he told me firmly. I shrugged and half-asleep, did as told. I came out in a pair of flannel pants and a loose t-shirt, stumbling into my sleeping bag. I felt something being pushed into my arms and opened my eyes again to see Lunus nudging my egg towards me. I smiled and rubbed his head, taking the little egg and tucking myself in.

"Good night Jack," I mumbled.

"Good night, Ari," he replied, slipping into his own bag.

--------

My eyes flickered open, the insides of my lids bright yellow with sunshine. I moaned pathetically when the sun stabbed my irises and yanked the cover of my sleeping bag over my eyes and curled up in a tight ball around my egg. The sunlight shot straight through it. I moaned and rolled over before slipping out of my sleeping bag and rubbing my eyes tiredly as I stumbled slightly. I shook my head and grabbed my bag, heading to the tiny stream we'd passed on our way from Vermillion. Stripping down behind a tree, a slipped on my bathing suit, a simple black halter thing with little red and orange fireworks, and jumped into the cold stream, shivering in the chill. I splashed water all over myself and waded back to shore to grab my shampoo, scrubbing it through my hair. Twenty minutes later, I returned to the clearing dressed in a clean black long-sleeved shirt, white t-shirt over it, and jean Capris, to find Jack and Lunus repeating their morning ritual. I smiled as Jack flailed, coughing lightly to hide my laughter. Finally he looked up, glaring reproachfully. I smiled and began cleaning up my things as Jack moved away from the clearing, returning in an olive t-shirt and dark jeans. When we were pulling the extra wheels off our bikes, I said to him,

"Thanks for taking me back last night." He smiled.

"Any time. I'm more of a night person." He told me. I nodded.

"So we're going to the Pokémon center, then the gym?" I asked, stowing the wheels in my messenger bag. He nodded.

"Yup." Noting the day was warm and I already had on two layers, I took my jacket and tucked it into the basket at the front of my bike, stowing my egg there as well. Jack smiled and hopped on his bike, setting off in front of me. I followed suit and we sped down the road, returning to civilization. We arrived at the center about twenty minutes later, finding it packed with trainers reuniting with their newly healed Pokémon. Nurse Joy spotted us through the mob and made her way over, smiling joyfully.

"Good morning you two!" she said. We smiled back.

"'Morning, Nurse Joy," I said.

"'Morning," Jack echoed.

"Are you getting ready for your gym battle?" she asked Jack. He nodded and she led us to the room where we'd met her yesterday. The procedure was repeated almost exactly, but the talk was of the healed Pokémon and their reunited trainers. Once the Pokémon were thoroughly checked, Joy sent us on our way with a blessing and a free breakfast of muffins and donuts to thank us and we headed for the gym. When we entered, I was amazed. It was like a stadium, and I remembered reading somewhere that the gym leader's sisters used to perform water shows with water Pokémon in the pool where they also battled trainers in order to award them cascade badges. We entered and were greeted by a young girl in a bikini, a horsea in her arms.

"Good morning," she told us cheerfully. "Are you here to battle Misty?" she asked. Jack nodded.

"I am." She smiled.

"I'm Chelsea, Misty's assistant. Come with me please. Misty's just been itching for a battle since her Pokémon were healed." She informed us, skipping ahead as her horsea whinnied. We smiled at each other and followed her through a set of double doors to the water performance area in time to see an older girl, probably around 15, Jack's age, dive gracefully off a high dive, disappear underwater, and resurface riding on the back of a dugong. She stopped when she saw us.

"Battlers for you, Misty!" Chelsea called. Misty smiled brightly and directed the dugong to the edge of the pool and climbed about, trotting over to us. She smiled flirtatiously at Jack and held out a hand, the other accepting a pink towel with embroidery of a seaking on it from Chelsea. He shook her hand, smiling back.

"Jack Marcum, Pokémon trainer, Pewter City," he introduced himself, kissing her hand as he had mine. I hid a smile. She giggled.

"Misty, Cerulean Gym leader." She looped the towel over her shoulders. "Are you ready for a battle?" she asked. He grinned.

"I always am." He replied. She turned to me.

"Friend of yours?" she asked. He shrugged.

"Ari Nightingale. My traveling partner," he explained. I smiled and shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you," I said politely. She looked me up and down.

"You going to battle too?" she asked, not bothering to return my greeting. I shook my head.

"I'm only a beginning trainer, but I plan on being a coordinator," I said.

"Good luck with that," she said uninterestedly. "I'll be back in a minute, Jack," she said with a smile. "I'm going to fetch my Pokémon. It's a three on three battle," she told him, trotting off with a certain swing to her hips. I turned to Jack, smirking. He glared at me.

"I do believe you've just been hit on by a gym leader." I murmured.

"Shut up," he mumbled. I grinned and wiggled my fingers in farewell and went to sit in the stands. Misty returned, wearing a short, colorful wrap around her waist, her hair put into one side ponytail. She smiled.

"Ready Jack?" she asked. He nodded and Chelsea, still holding her horsea, came out to the middle, two flags tucked into her own wrap.

"Welcome to the gym battle between Jack Marcum of Pewter City and Misty of Cerulean gym! Three Pokémon will be used by each trainer. The visiting trainer may switch out Pokémon at will, but the gym leader cannot. Begin!" she shouted, chopping the air with a red flag.

"Corsola! Let's go!" she shouted, tossing a Pokéball into the air. The shape slipped out and into the water, bobbing above the surface. Jack smiled.

"Lunus! Come on out!" He replied throwing the Pokéball. Lunus appeared on one of the floating mats.

"Corsola, pin missile!" Misty shouted. The Pokémon gave its cry and its spines glowed before shooting spikes out towards Lunus.

"Lunus, agility!" Jack countered. Lunus called out and leaped into the air, dodging the spikes. "Quick attack!" he followed up. Before I even knew what was happening, Lunus had scored a direct hit on the corsola. I gasped. I'd never seen something that fast. Apparently nor had Misty.

"Very quick." She commented before smirking. "Corsola! Underwater!" she commanded. The coral Pokémon disappeared and Lunus retreated to the mat. "Water pulse!" Jack grimaced.

"Lunus, feel the tremors! It'll come like a ripple. Just dodge them!" he ordered. Lunus yipped in reply and a tiny ripple, like a stone had been dropped into the pond, began to move through the water. Lunus yelped again and hopped the first ripple, moving from one mat to the other. "Good! Watch where the pulse is starting-" he began.

"Corsola!" Misty interrupted. "Back up for another pin missile!"

"Lunus! Tackle!" Jack directed. Just as Corsola surfaced, the black blur that was Lunus hit its mark. Corsola yipped in pain and Misty looked frustrated.

"Corsola, recover!" She shouted. Jack smiled grimly as Lunus found a mat to wait on. "Now what are you gonna do?" she taunted Jack. He smirked.

"Lunus, disable!" Lunus' rings glowed and a yellow glow surrounded the confused corsola. "Now, confusion!" The rings flashed and then glowed as the corsola, wearing a worried expression, was blanketed in blue and lifted into the air, only to be hurled against the wall with a cry. Misty gasped.

"Corsola, recover!" she commanded. Corsola closed her eyes, but Jack smirked, and another gold glow surrounded her. "No!" Misty exclaimed. She glared. "Go out with a bang, corsola!" she yelled. "Self destruct!" An explosion shook the building and when the smoke cleared, I saw Lunus, panting heavily on his mat, and corsola completely knocked out.

"Lunus is the winner of the first battle!" Chelsea shouted, waving the green flag she was carrying. Misty recalled her corsola, kissing the Pokéball with affection before pulling out a new one.

"Come and rest, Lunus!" Jack called. The red glow covered Lunus, bringing it back to its home.

"Come on out, Staryu!" Misty exclaimed, throwing the Pokéball. The star shaped Pokémon appeared with a call on one of the mats. Jack smiled.

"Sky! Hit it!" he yelled, tossing the ball high into the air. Out came Sky in all her glory. Misty looked skeptical.

"All right staryu, swift!" she commanded. Staryu made its trademark noise and its center jewel pulsed, emitting glowing gold stars toward Sky, drifting lazily in the sky. She chirped calmly and sped away, avoiding the stars easily. Misty grimaced.

"Sky, peck!" Jack ordered. With a tweet, Sky sped down towards her opponent, heading right on.

"Into the water!" Misty shouted hurriedly. Staryu jumped in the direction of the water.

"Bank!" Jack yelled. Sky made an amazing, mid-air turn, smashing into staryu as Misty let out a gasp. Then she smirked.

"Stop and rapid spin!" she hollered. Staryu stopped and began spinning rapidly, flying in its own way- right towards Sky, who panicked, unable to fly backwards.

"Bank up, bank up!" Jack cried worriedly. Sky shot upward, but the persistent staryu followed. I cheered him on as Jack looked like he had an idea.

"Double team, Sky!" I applauded- good thinking. Sky gave a trill and suddenly there were about 15 pidgeottos in the air. Confused, staryu forgot to keep spinning and dropped. "Sky, quick attack!" In a blur, Sky shot towards the staryu, smashing it down and into the water as the bird Pokémon's copies disappeared. A faint beeping was being emitted from under the water.

"Staryu! Water gun!" she shouted, desperate. A stream of water shot from the pool, hitting a surprised Sky squarely. She shook it off and Jack looked pensive.

"Sky, whirlwind! Make a whirlpool in the water!" He called finally. Sky flapped her wings furiously until she began to spin in the air, almost a foot from the water. The water began to spin furiously. "Good!" He said firmly. Sky floated away to perch on a mat as a worried looking Misty cried out as staryu floated to the surface, completely KO'd. She grimaced and recalled staryu as Jack punched the air. "Awesome, Sky! You still in for another one?" she asked. She chirped confidently and lifted into the sky. Misty laughed.

"Good luck with this one!" she warned, tossing the Pokéball into the air. "Seel! Let's go!" The seel slipped into the water, clapping happily. "Ice beam!" she bellowed. Sky shot away from the beam.

"Gust!" Jack shouted. Sky pumped her wings furiously, sending a burst of air at the seel.

"Underwater!" Misty yelled. The seel jumped happily under water, the gust missing by inches. I frowned. "Seel, surf!" she ordered. Suddenly, a huge wave appeared out of nowhere, smashing into Sky. Sky cried loudly and Jack grimaced.

"Return!" he shouted, popping open the Pokéball. "Azure, give it your best!" he shouted, calling out his Pokémon. The poliwhirl appeared on a mat and gave its cry. "Azure, use bide!" he commanded, a smile slipping onto his lips. I watched interestedly as Azure settled into a meditative position. Misty watched warily.

"Seel, water gun!" she commanded. Seel came hopping out again and a flow of water shot from his mouth.

"Release!" Jack commanded. Azure glowed red for a second before the light pulsed out in an arc, heading right towards seel, scoring a direct hit. Misty gasped.

"Aurora beam!" she shouted. Seel, looking dizzy, let out a beautiful, multi-colored beam, hitting dead on. Azure keeled over in a faint. Jack grimaced.

"Nice work, Azure." He recalled him and took another Pokéball out. "You're up again, Lunus! Let's go!" He yelled, sending Lunus out. "Quick attack!" he ordered.

"Horn attack!" Misty called at the same time. Lunus only managed to hit him slightly before being beaten by the sharp horn. Already weak, Lunus fainted.

"Good job, Lunus!" Jack yelled with a grimace, returning him to his Pokéball.

"Finish it, Sky!" he shouted. Sky sped into the air, glaring down furiously at the seel. "Whirlwind! Air and water!" Jack commanded. Flapping mightily, the bird Pokémon stirred the air and water fiercely. Seel was caught up in the storm.

"Underwater!" Misty ordered, obviously panic. It was only a second after seel was underwater that the whirling tornado forced the water to follow suit.

"That's enough!" Jack said. Sky trilled and slowed its wing beats. Shortly after, seel floated to the top, knocked out. Misty grimaced and recalled her Pokémon, smiling fondly before minimizing it and slipping the ball into a pocket of her wrap. I laughed and cheered, racing down the steps to greet Jack, who was staring at Sky. Suddenly, Misty and I looked up as well, as did Chelsea.

"The winner is-" she stopped, amazed. Sky was glowing hot white and changing shape.

"She's evolving!" I exclaimed. The white light flared and then disappeared, leaving Sky in her new form, trilling happily as she spiraled down to Jack, now about a foot taller then he.

"Amazing Sky, simply amazing!" he exclaimed, wrapping his arms around the Pokémon's neck. Misty, Chelsea and I smiled, even as Chelsea chopped down the green flag.

"The winner is Jack of Pewter City!" She exclaimed. Jack cheered wildly, his new pidgeot chirping just as happily. I dashed down the steps to where he was standing and hugged him in congratulations.

"Good job, Jack! You did amazing!" I cried. He grinned and hugged me back.

"Thanks Ari." He said. I turned to Sky.

"Good job, you're a wonderful Pokémon," I assured her. She chirped happily and I smiled as Misty approached. She bowed to Jack.

"You're an amazing trainer with amazing Pokémon. Be the best you can be." She held out a small, blue badge in the shape of a water drop. "Congratulations on winning the Cerulean Cascade badge," she said respectfully. Jack smiled and shook her hand, surprising her.

"That was an amazing match. Thank you for the battle." He said. She smiled.

"Good luck, Jack." She said. I bowed to her.

"That was an amazing match," I assured her. "I'm glad I was privileged enough to see it." She smiled. Her eyes caught my egg as she walked us to the door.

"Oh is that a Pokémon egg?" she asked excitedly. I nodded.

"An eevee." She smiled and I offered it to her. She looked excited.

"Really?" she asked. I nodded.

"Of course." She cradled the egg in her arms.

"I had an egg once, but it hatched, into a togepi," she mused. "I had to let her go, but it was good while I had her." She told us. I smiled and took back my egg.

"It was nice meeting you, Misty," I told her.

"It was. Hope to see you again," Jack added. She smiled.

"Go on. Get your Pokémon healed," she said, ushering us out the door.

"You did amazing today," I told Jack as we unlocked our bikes and I put my egg safely into the basket.

"Thanks," he murmured, setting off down the street next to me.

"Did you know Sky was ready to evolve?" I queried. He shrugged.

"She seemed kind of restless, and I think she was so proud of beating the seel that she just… Evolved," he admitted. I smiled.

"She's a good Pokémon. You two'll go far," I assured him.

"Thank you," he told me, stopping and hopping off his bike to lock it against a lamppost. I copied him and followed him into the Pokémon center, much emptier than before. Joy was behind the counter. She looked up.

"Jack! Ari! How did it go?" she asked. Jack smiled and held out his badge. She clapped in delight.

"Very good, very good!" she exclaimed. "Do you need your Pokémon healed?" she asked, getting up. He nodded and she led us into the backroom again, then had Jack call out his Pokémon again. "Oh wow," she murmured, stroking Sky's proud plume. Jack smiled.

"I'm proud of her too," he said. I smiled. I looked forward to the future at Jack's side and sat on the bed contentedly.


	5. Plans and Flight

**Gutten nacht. This chapter is short and late. I apologize. I had a very good idea, but it can't happen any time soon, so I had to work around my narrowed writer's path. Not very interesting, but everyone needs a segue chapter here and there. Unedited. Too lazy :D **

**Yours, The Sherberty Lemon**

"So are we heading straight out of town or are we stopping for lunch?" I asked Jack as we pedaled away from the Pokémon center.

"I got a lot of cash from Misty, so we'll treat ourselves and the Pokémon," he told me. I nodded.

"Sounds like a good idea. I saw a sign for a Pokémon trainer restaurant, where they feed your Pokémon and you," I offered.

"Hmm… Where is it?" he asked. I thought for a moment. "I think it's at the south edge of the city," I told him, thinking back to the sign. "Yeah, definitely at the south. For incoming and outgoing trainers," I explained. He nodded.

"Shall we go to Saffron city afterwards?" He said. "That's south of here." I furrowed my brow.

"But didn't we come from the south? From Vermillion?" I asked. "Isn't Saffron out near Lavender town?" He smiled and shook his head.

"We met out to the east of Saffron," he explained. "I was coming from Lavender, and you accidentally skirted around the edge of Celadon."

"Oh," I murmured thoughtfully.

"Think of it like this," he began. "Saffron is a huge city, more of a city than a town or village. It's got Silph Co., a huge industrial business. Its the city's biggest money producer, and the president gives a lot to support it." He informed me. "It's a huge city, and four other cities are centered around it."

"Really?" I asked, interested. He nodded.

"Cerulean is north, Lavender is east, Vermillion is south," he continued with a nod towards me. "And Celadon is west."

"Huh," I murmured, eyes on the road as we coasted down the hill. "There it is!" I exclaimed, pointing at a large building that bustled with noise. Jack raised his eyebrows.

"The party's already started," he murmured. I chuckled and we cruised to a stop, locking our bikes and entering through sliding doors into a kind of anti-chamber, where a young woman who looked to be about 25 waited. She was dressed in short red skirt and a white blouse and the belt around her waist had a huge, circular buckle, giving her the ultimate appearance of a Pokéball. She smiled.

"Good afternoon! Table for two, and how many Pokémon?" she asked. Jack and I looked at each other.

"Five and an egg," I told her. She smiled.

"Excellent, come with me. First, do you have either a seviper or a zangoose?" she asked, leading us to a table. Jack shook his head and I looked at him curiously. He held up a finger. "Very good," she continued, laying down menus on a table. The whole restaurant was a kind of 50s diner style with a modern touch. Only the plush booths and linoleum tables, counter and spinning stools were retro, there was a carpet patterned with Pokéballs and signed pictures of famous trainers were hung around the walls. The waiters and waitresses were wearing similar outfits to the Maitre 'D. "I'll send a waitress right over," she said, waving and leaving us. Almost immediately, a similarly dressed girl who looked to be about 18 with long red hair approached our table with a smile, a pen poised on top of a pad.

"Good morning. I'm Jas, I'll be your server today," she said politely. "I'll give you more time to think, but first, what kind of Pokémon do you have?" she asked. Jack and I glanced at each other again.

"Two waters, a dark, a flying, and a fire," Jack told her. She nodded.

"Very good. Anything to drink?" she asked.

"Mountain Dew?" I requested.

"Coke?" Jack said. She nodded again.

"Excellent. You can release your Pokémon and I'll bring the food and drinks, but if any of your Pokémon are uncontrollable, for the welfare of our other patrons, please keep them inside their Pokéballs." She said before departing. I pulled out my one Pokéball, releasing Aquatrix onto the seat of the booth next to me. She licked my face happily before licking herself, her defense against drying out. Jack copied me, Storm sitting up at his feet, Sky on a large perch, one of which hung over every table, Azure by his side and Lunus on the back end of the table. He and Aquatrix touched noses, quickly becoming interested in each other. Jas returned balancing bowls of Pokémon food in her arms. Two were blue, one was red, one was black, and one was white. She put one blue in front of Aquatrix and the other in front of Azure, the red in front Storm, the white in a little tray that balanced off the hanging perch, and the black one in front of Lunus. All began to eat happily.

"You two ready to order?" she asked. We nodded and smiled as she put down our drinks.

"Can I get a burger with fries?" Jack asked, handing her his menu. She scribbled something down and took his menu, turning to me.

"Pasta with meatballs?" I queried. She nodded and took mine as well, leaving again.

"I can't wait," Jack told me. "I'm always hungry after a battle, and the Pokémon seem to be enjoying it," he added. I grinned.

"You're always hungry," I informed him. He grinned, sticking his tongue out at me.

"So do you know when the next contest is?" he asked me, stroking Lunus' head. I thought for a moment, pursing my lips.

"I think it's in Celadon, isn't it?" I said. "What's today, the twelfth of June?" He nodded. "It's next week, on the seventeenth," I told him. He nodded.

"We can head through Saffron to get to Celadon," he told me, taking a sip of his Coke.

"Do you plan to challenge Sabrina right away? I hear her Pokémon are pretty strong," I mused, taking some of my own drink. He shrugged.

"Probably not. I've got a lot of training to do," he said. I nodded. "What about this," he began thoughtfully. "We hang around the edge of Saffron for the week, for training. You have to prepare for the contest, don't you?" he asked. I nodded. "We stay on the edge of Saffron, head to Celadon on the sixteenth, camp outside Celadon for that night, and once you're done your contest, we go back to Saffron for my battle?" he offered. I thought for a moment.

"Sounds perfect." I quipped. He smiled. "So once we leave, we head down to Saffron. Do you think we'll make it by nightfall?" I asked him. He thought for a moment, brows furrowed. Then he shook his head.

"Steady riding should bring us to a big pond that marks the halfway point of route five, the one that starts at Cerulean and goes through Saffron and n to Vermillion. It's a popular campsite." I nodded, thinking over my battle plan.

"I saw a little shop on the way in, with supplies. I don't want to bike down to Route five with enough food for a week," I murmured, staring blankly at my glass as I swirled the yellow liquid with my straw. "So we'll buy supplies for tonight and tomorrow morning. When do you think we'll get to Saffron?" I queried, looking up at him. He thought again.

"If we leave at nine, like usual…" he trailed off, looking at Storm without really seeing him. "About an hour after noon?" he suggested. I nodded.

"Perfect. Enough for dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow. Once we reach Saffron, we'll buy our supplies for the week. Sound good?" I asked, checking for his opinion. If he had a better idea, I'd go with his. He was, after all more experienced. He nodded.

"Excellent." There was a short silence before I turned the topic of conversation to him. In reality, I didn't know much about him.

"So who are you, really?" I asked, taking a sip of my drink. He shrugged, fingers running over Lunus' back.

"Well my parents got divorced about three years back," he began, staring blankly out the window. "Then my dad passed away last year." I gave him a sympathetic look. He shrugged. "It's fine. He died doing what he loved, the death he wanted." I looked at him, my expression trying to hide my curiosity.

"Which was?" I prompted.

"He trained carrier Pokémon." I furrowed my brow.

"Carrier Pokémon?" I asked, confused.

"They're bird Pokémon that are trained to carry messages all over Kanto, sometimes even to the other regions," he explained. "The one's my dad trained, they had to be taught to fly in storms, snow, all weather. They work for the government and are highly valued," he continued. I nodded. "He was working with a pidgeot in a storm and he was flying with a more experienced pidgeot. Suddenly, his pidgeot was frightened by a sudden bolt of lightning. He panicked and dropped my dad." He told me. I pursed my lips.

"I'm sorry," I murmured, mostly unsure of what to say. He shrugged again.

"We got used to it," he told me.

"We?" I asked. He smiled.

"My five siblings and I." I winced.

"Ouch." He grinned.

"It's not terrible. I'm the second oldest, so when my brother Kevin went to take Dad's place, I did a lot for my sisters." I raised an eyebrow.

"Four younger sisters? Double ouch." He laughed.

"Well you certainly appreciate the strengths and intellect of your own gender," he mused wryly. It was my turn to grin.

"Sure, but I also know how annoying they are," I told him with a wink as we both took sips of our drinks. Jas appeared and gave us our food with a smile, checking on us and the Pokémon. An hour later, we were pedaling down the road, my bag holding a stew mix and a good loaf of bread; Jack's holding three bagels, a few eggs, and some bacon. As we followed the path we found that the road was a steady slope, but it became steeper and steeper until it became one of those hills perfect for bikes. All we had to do was watch out for pebbles and pits. I screamed in joy as I took my feet from the pedals, pulling up enough courage to let my hands swing free as well, guiding my bike with my knees. Jack laughed, not far behind me.

"I'd hate to be going up this hill," he shouted to me over the wind when he caught up. I laughed and put my hands back on the bars.

"I've always thought hills should have built in escalators!" I yelled in reply. He grinned.

"Race you to the bottom?" He called. I smirked.

"You're on! Try not to pull something!" I shouted, struggling with the already fast moving pedals for a second before shoving the gears and falling into a steady rhythm, Jack still working to manage his pedals behind me. I screamed in delight, every part of my bike freewheeling down the hill. It even felt like my body was part of it, just skimming the air. Noticing Jack was gaining, I hit my pedal again. We were nearing the end and I was too busy laughing happily and looking out over the meadow at the edge that I missed what was really there.

"ARI!" Jack bellowed. I glanced down only in time to see the big rock streak towards my bike wheel before I found myself in the air.

"This is nice," I mumbled to myself as I stared at the blue sky above. And then it turned to black. For the second time, I woke up staring at what I thought was the green grass of the meadow but was, in reality, Jack's worried green eyes. "Good morning, dad," I said, completely whacked out. "Are you wearing contacts?" I caught a smile on his face and frowned. "Hey, you're not-"

"Ari, it's me. Jack," he murmured. I blinked.

"Eh?" I said, still utterly confused.

"Jack. You're traveling partner? With Lunus and-" I screamed and jumped to my feet.

"MY EGG!" I shrieked, suddenly overcome by dizziness. Jack shook his head and gently swept my legs out from under me. I cried out in surprised, but Jack caught me firmly.

"Your egg is fine," he assured me calmly. He pointed past my face and struggling through obnoxious pain, I followed his finger to see Lunus sitting calmly on the ground, nibbling grass with one paw poised on top of my egg. I sighed in relief. That's when I blanked out again. I woke up for the second time when I felt my body being moved. Jack had me in his arms again and I saw Sky preening a few feet away. We were heading in her direction.

"What's going on?" I mumbled.

"Awake again," he murmured with a smile. "Good. We can't afford to lose time because the lake is the safest place to camp. You're going to ride with Sky," he told me. I blinked slowly.

"I already flew today," I muttered. He grinned.

"You have experience. Just hold on and Sky will do most of the work," he told me, changing my position as if I were as light as a doll and wrapping my arms gently around Sky's neck, my face buried in her plume as he folded one hand around the other wrist.

"My bike?" I said through my haze.

"Unbeknownst to us, it folds up." He told me as Sky ruffled her feathers. "It's in your bag, which Sky will carry." He continued.

"Isn't it a bit much for her?" I asked. He shook his head.

"She got basic training as a pidgeotto carrier bird," he explained. "Don't worry about her." He assured me. I smiled.

"And eevee?" I queried sleepily.

"Your egg?" Jack said after a moment. I nodded. "I've attached your basket to my bike and I've got Lunus just in case." I nodded again.

"Good night." I mumbled. He smiled, though I didn't see it.

"Sweet dreams."

-------

"You're very accident prone, you know that?" Jack told me that night, pulling me off a tired Sky. I kissed the Pokémon's head.

"Thank you," I whispered. She trilled in acknowledgement. "Shut up," I muttered crossly. "You don't do much to help." He grinned as he carried me over to a log bench. Apparently the pond was a good camping spot- there were trees all around, but there were little clearings at the lakes edge where fire pits were already made and logs were placed around it. Head pounding, I accepted my egg from Jack and pulled it into my arms, whispering apologies. Suddenly, a cup of water and a hand were thrust into my vision. I looked up blearily at Jack and he gestured with his hand towards me. In his palm were two pills.

"Advil," he informed me. I sighed and took the pills, swallowing without even remembering the water was there before tucking into myself again. After about twenty minutes of incoherent mumbling and spaced out thoughts, the pressure in my head lessened and I felt around under my black hair, finally finding the spot of impact, straight up from my ear and back about an inch, where a bump was cheerfully growing. I grimaced and my nose awoke to joyful stew. I looked up. Jack was holding out a bowl of hearty vegetable stew, which I accepted gratefully, tucking in immediately, later accepting the piece of bread he handed to me. Finally, there was nothing but pins and needles that had replaced the pain and I smiled gratefully. Jack was already packing up his portable kitchen stuff. I looked up at him and I beamed cheerfully, a child's grin. He smiled back indulgently.

"Thank you," I told him. "I'll cook and clean tomorrow," I told him. He nodded.

"Your sleeping bag's over there," he told me. I looked at him in surprise. "While the stew was cooking," he explained, washing the pot in the pond. I nodded, wincing at the pain it brought.

"Thank you," I repeated. "I'm going to change. If I'm not back in five minutes, be worried," I murmured. He chuckled and I departed behind a tree to change into another loose t-shirt and another pair of flannel pants, reappearing to grab my egg protectively and slide into my sleeping bag, which was on a soft patch of grass. "Good night!" I called quietly.

"Good night," he replied, and I heard a smile in his voice.


	6. Saffron At Last

**(3/29) Hey everyone. I'm sorry about the lack of update, though four days really isn't that much, so don't complain. I've waited two months. Anyway, it was the last week of the quarter at school and I had lots of work (several tests and two projects) and I had bigass writer's block anyway. I apologize. But here's the deal. I should get the next chapter (another battle chapter, which is hard for me to write) done by tomorrow night, but Saturday afternoon at the latest. I'm going to a party Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning I leave to visit family for Passover (Jewish holiday). I'll be back Thursday, but if I have inspiration, I'll be able to do somewriting there and on the plane rides, but I hate typing things up, so I don't know what'll happen. I've got a few idea for what's going to happen (came into this with no idea where the hell I was going) and I've decided that eventually (way, way, way later, there will be a sequel, but expect about 25-30 chapters for this one. Uh... I believe that's it. Thanks for the all the reviews.**

**------**

**(3/31) Yes, I finally got it up. Longer than expected, and I've edited this one. I get back Thursday evening, so Friday at the earliest. Sorry about the wait and enjoy this chapter.**

After a hearty breakfast made by yours truly, Jack and I set off at a steady pace, our current path being flatter and more troublesome than the earlier one. I was dressed in a pair of long sport shorts and a simple white t-shirt, my blue fedora on my head, and Jack was clad in a pair of khaki shorts and a grey shirt that read "Pewter City Festival" on it. Using some thick string and an extra jacket, I'd made a kind of safety net for my egg in the basket, tying the jacket around the basket so it only bounced around slightly. As I struggled stupidly with it for twenty minutes, Jack had tried not to laugh and regaled me with the tale of my egg's saving. He'd seen the rock and quickly called out Lunus, telling the already speedy Pokémon to use quick attack in order to catch it, knowing he could take care of me. We'd finally set off and it was about noon when a voice wandered from the trees around the path.

"Hey!" came the voice of a girl. We coasted to a halt and looked around, shrugging at each other. "Are you Pokémon trainers?" the speaker dropped from a branch overhanging the road. She was a good height, about mine, but seemed to be about Jack's age or older. She had waist length blond hair that hung in wavy locks around her slim figure, tanned skin, and warm brown eyes. A short black t-shirt stopped a few inches above her navel and a red, long sleeved jacket fell to her hips, where a belt with Pokéballs also held up a pair of denim capris. A small gold bag was slung over her shoulder, and an easy smile adorned her lips as she put a hand on her hip. "My name's Kate, Kate White, from Pallet Town," she introduced herself. "Either of you up for a battle?" she offered, looking at us. Jack smiled.

"Jack Marcum, Pewter City," he replied, shaking her hand.

"Ari Nightingale, Vermillion City," I said, doing the same. "A pleasure."

"I'm a trainer," Jack told her, stepping off his bike and putting up the kickstand. I copied him, taking my egg out of its cloth trap as he pulled off his bag. Kate looked delighted.

"Excellent. How about a double battle?" she suggested. Jack nodded.

"Sounds great." He turned to me. "Ever officiated before?" he asked. I shook my head.

"I know how to though, and I should get used to it." He grinned and Kate smiled.

"Thanks, Ari," she said. I nodded. "Go ahead and take your places," I said, dumping my own bag on the ground as they nodded, shook hands, and departed to opposite sides of the road. I myself went to stand in the middle. I looked between them, recalling all the battles I'd ever seen and how they'd been refereed. "This is the battle between Kate White of Pallet Town and Jack Marcum of Pewter City!" I said loudly. "This is a double battle. Each trainer will use three Pokémon, and the first trainer to two victories is the winner!" I continued. "BEGIN!" There were several red flashes as the two released their Pokémon.

"Lunus! Storm! Let's go!" Jack shouted, tossing both Pokéballs into the air. Lunus chirped and Storm barked happily as they were released onto the ground and Kate held out two Pokéballs, pressing the buttons.

"Wartortle! Persian!" she yelled. The two appeared. The wartortle stamped its feet and called out its name; the Persian meowed primly and began to wash itself.

"Storm! Bite!" Jack ordered. "On the Persian! Lunus, quick attack!" The two raced to do his bidding.

"Wartortle! Hit the growlithe with a water gun!" Kate commanded. "Persian, dodge!" Jack grimaced.

"Storm! Wait till the last minute, dodge, and tackle!" Storm yipped and kept running, jumping clear over the stream of water, which followed it determinedly, but Storm was obviously faster. In fact, all of Jack's team seemed to be versed in speed. He hopped two more blasts and slammed into the wartortle's hard shell. Regardless, the turtle Pokémon was slammed onto its back. Jack turned his attention to his umbreon. "Lunus! Into the air!" he yelled. Lunus chirped and sprung into the air, the confused Persian stopping in its track. "Now iron tail!" Jack shouted. The ring on Lunus' tail began to glow and his lower body headed towards Persian.

"Persian! Faint attack! Wartortle, rapid spin!" Kate commanded quickly. Persian leapt towards Lunus and they collided mid-air, bouncing back to the ground, both seeming to have sustained the same amount of damage, as wartortle spun in quick circles, fending off Storm as he tried to bite the Pokémon. Jack growled.

"Lunus! Pursuit!" he shouted. I nodded- it was a good choice. Pursuit was an attack that grew in strength as the opponent fled. Kate bit her lip. "Storm! Ember!" Jack yelled. Kate panicked and seemed to freeze as Storm scorched her wartortle and Persian tried to run, Lunus following quickly and executing the attack with great power. Persian fainted and wartortle sprung to his feet, shell smoking as Storm yipped happily and Lunus looked proud. Kate bit her lip and recalled Persian.

"Persian is unable to battle!" I remembered to yell.

"Sorry girl. My fault. Good job," she said before taking a new ball and popping it open. "Graveler! Show 'em who's boss!" she yelled as the boulder Pokémon appeared, smacking its arms together in a show of aggression. "Graveler, rock throw!" Before I knew it, a barrage of rocks was showering over Storm and Lunus and I winced. Jack grimaced.

"Storm, try to dodge them! Lunus, quick attack from rock to rock!" he shouted, clearly worried. I watched with rapt attention as Lunus skillfully pulled off the move I'd planned to do with Aquatrix. Storm barked with pain and I turned to see him, stuck under a rock and whimpering.

"Wartortle! Water gun!" Kate yelled. The wartortle called its name and let flow a stream of water, hitting Storm squarely as Lunus continued to jump from rock to rock. Jack growled and recalled Storm.

"Good job boy," he murmured. He tossed his next Pokéball into the air. "Let's go Azure!" he shouted. The Pokémon appeared and clapped his gloved paws, calling its name. "Azure! Water gun and follow up with double slap! Lunus! Pursuit on the wartortle!" he commanded. Azure was already running with an amazing speed for a poliwhirl that left even Kate gaping, dodging rocks like mad as Jack smiled confidently. Again, Kate seemed to freeze. The wartortle looked back at its master worriedly, but by the time he turned around, Lunus was on him, just as the Azure's jet hit graveler squarely and he was knocked side to side by double slap. Kate shook her head and opened her mouth, but it was too late. Both had been KO'd.

"Graveler and wartortle are unable to battle! The match goes to Jack of Pewter City!" I yelled.

"Excellent work!" Jack called with a smile. Lunus barked happily and Azure clapped again as he let them back into their Pokéballs. Kate sighed and recalled her Pokémon. I waited for Jack to reach me before we moved over to Kate. She forced a smile and held out a hand. Jack's face was unreadable as he shook it, then I did.

"Congratulations," she said quietly.

"Can I help you out?" he asked suddenly. She looked surprised, but nodded. I listened carefully. "Here's you're problem. You're Pokémon are strong, very strong. I can tell by their attacks." Kate nodded. "It's you though." She pursed her lips but continued to listen. "When my Pokémon's attacks were coming at yours at the end, you froze up. You're wartortle even turned to you for direction," he explained. "You're Pokémon obviously trust you, but you can't only train your Pokémon, you have to train yourself," he continued. She nodded, then a smile pulled at her lips.

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." She told him with a smile.

"Good job today," I added quietly. She smiled and her eyes fell to my egg.

"Ooh, is that a Pokémon egg?" she asked, excited. I nodded, smiling. "Looks like an eevee egg," she murmured. I nodded again, surprised.

"It is. How'd you know?" She smiled.

"My parents own an egg nursery," she explained. "I've only seen two eevees. They're quite rare. How'd you get yours?" she asked curiously. I smiled.

"It was a gift, from Jack," I told her. She smiled.

"Cute," she murmured. Jack actually blushed. I grinned. "From your umbreon?" she asked. He shook his head.

"I rescued a girl whose parents ran a daycare center. She was finding a wild parent for an egg, which she does for her parents," he began. "She was being attacked by a wild mightyena, Lunus and I rescued her, and she offered us the egg," he told her. She nodded.

"Pretty cool." Jack looked at her.

"So are you going to go on the next Pokémon center?" he asked. "You could come with us, if you like." Kate shook her head and smiled.

"I've got a whole store of berries and potions. Oh, that reminds me." We waited as she dug in her purse. She pulled out a small, humped yellow berry and some money from her bag. She handed them to Jack, who furrowed his brow. "Your victory money," she told him, her voice hinting at its obviousness. He shook his head.

"I know that. What's this?" he asked, confused, holding up the berry. She smiled.

"A sitrus berry, for your growlithe," she explained. "It'll perk him up right away, I promise," she told us. "I'm sorry, but I've got to go heal Persian, wartortle and graveler. I hope we meet again," she said, smiling. She shook our hands.

"It was a good battle. Keep training," Jack said.

"Good luck," I added. She smiled and disappeared into the wooded exterior of the path. Jack and I turned to each other and shrugged. "Should we heal Storm?" I asked. He shrugged again.

"Sure." We migrated to the roadside where we'd parked our bikes. He called out Storm, positioning the ball so the Pokémon would appear in my waiting arms. I readjusted my grip as the Pokémon panted sadly, trying to bark loyally for his trainer. Jack smiled and offered the berry to the growlithe, who sniffed it cautiously. "Go on, boy," he murmured. "You'll feel better," he assured him. Storm licked his hand and scooped the berry into is mouth, chewing it thoughtfully. The affect was almost immediate, and Storm sprung from my arms to tackle Jack, licking his face joyfully. We laughed and Jack managed to hold the happy Pokémon at arms length.

"Well that worked," I murmured. Jack laughed.

"Wanna run with us, boy?" he asked. Storm nodded and yipped happily. He laughed. "Come on then." He turned to me. "Shall we?" He suggested. I nodded.

"To the Batmobile, Robin!" I muttered, in one of my sardonic moods for no reason. Jack rolled his eyes, but I saw a smile pull at his lips. One pulled at my own and I trotted over to my bike. Then I screamed. Jack ran over and stopped short, staring down at our bags. All of our leftover food, a few of our supplies, Jack's spare shirts and, to my immense embarrassment, my bras lay scattered on the ground. In the middle sat a pleased looking pichu. I saw Jack's eyes skid over the items on the ground as my face turned hot. I calmed myself and knelt down, shielding the destruction from Jack's eyes. I didn't want to startle the little thing- it was adorable, actually.

"C'mere sweetheart," I murmured, smiling and holding out my hands. The pichu panicked and in its rush to run away, tripped and stumbled over something. It was the little white drawstring bag pinned to my messenger bag. The bag spilled open as the little pichu spilled onto the ground, one of the Pokéballs becoming large and rolling until it hit the little Pokémon. Jack and I gasped as the pichu disappeared into the Pokéball in a flash of red. The ball twitched and I watched in amazement as it made a pinging noise and stopped. I turned to Jack, gaping.

"What just happened?" I whispered. Jack shook his head.

"I've heard the Pokémon can be accidentally caught, but I've never seen it in action. I rubbed my temples.

"Wonderful, now I've got a little hell raiser on my team," I muttered darkly. Jack laughed and knelt down as well, handing me the Pokéball. I noticed his eyes avoiding looking at the ground or me as I saw a red tinge on his face. I smirked. "Shall we clean up then?" I asked. He nodded, eyes fixed on his knee. I grinned, amused at his bashfulness, and began to shove my stuff back into my bag after slipping the Pokéball into my pocket as Jack did the same. Finally, we were packed up again. I stood up and recollected my egg into my arms. As I was tying the egg back into its little protective covering, Jack spoke.

"So what are you going to do with it?" he asked, already sitting on his bike as he waited.

"What?" I asked, struggling with a too-short piece of string.

"You know, that Pokémon you just caught?" he reminded me wryly, leaning on his handlebars.

"I'm intelligent," I muttered. He chuckled. "I dunno," I admitted, finally tying the knot and settling onto the seat as Jack watched and Storm panted happily by his side. I took the Pokéball from my pocket and stared at it for a minute. Suddenly the ball popped open. A flash of red was all I could see before I was blinded by yellow and I heard Jack laughing. I reached up and grabbed the pichu off my face. He looked happy and he nibbled my finger affectionately. "I hate you!" I called over to Jack, who ran a hand over his face in exasperation, rolling his eyes. I turned my eyes back to the pichu, who struggled out of my grasp to land on my shoulder before scrambling up my braid and onto my head, holding onto my fedora.

"I wouldn't stay there," Jack warned the Pokémon. "She's prone to falling," he advised. Pichu merely chirped happily as I glared at Jack.

"I'm not rooting for you in your next battle," I said loftily. He laughed. "Are you going to stay up there?" I asked the little Pokémon. His head popped into my vision upside down. He chirped again and nodded. I smiled. "All right then. Mind if I name you?" I asked. The pichu smiled brightly and nodded his head vigorously. I pursed my lips. "How about Spark?" I asked. He trilled his agreement and disappeared from my line of vision to return to his spot on the back of my head. Jack smiled.

"Let's go," he said. I nodded and we began our trek again. Delayed by the Spark incident and the battle with Kate, we reached Saffron city at about two thirty, famished and ready for a break. The road was rough and long, not to mention hilly. We pulled to a stop in front of the Pokémon center, getting off our bikes and trudging wearily inside. I was interested to see yet another exact copy of the Joy I'd known in Vermillion. And her nametag read, "Joy". I sighed. She smiled at us.

"Good afternoon and welcome to the Saffron Pokémon Center," she said cheerfully. "What can I do for you?" she asked.

"I need my Pokémon healed. Nothing big, just a recovery," he told her. She nodded and turned to me. I shook my head.

"I'm fine." I said. She nodded and Jack began handing over his Pokémon. I turned to Jack. "I'm gonna go call my parents," I said, pointing to a videophone over in the corner of the center. He nodded and I trotted over, quickly dialing in my home number. It rang a few times before my mom picked up.

"Oh, Ari!" She squealed, her face lighting up. I smiled.

"'Afternoon, mom," I said.

"How are you?" She asked. "Do you need anything? Where are you? How was- what is that thing on your head?" she asked, her brow furrowing. I laughed and Spark scrambled to the front edge of my hat, accidentally tumbling over and landing on top of my egg. My mom looked closer.

"It's a pichu, mum. He uh… Caught himself today." I said. She raised an eyebrow.

"Caught himself?" she asked. I grinned and regaled her with the story. She shook her head when I was finished. "Well, there you go. And what is that?" she asked. I realized that only the top bit of my egg could be seen.

"It's an egg, mom. An eevee egg!" I exclaimed. She gasped.

"How did you get an eevee egg?" she whispered. I smiled.

"Jack." She narrowed her eyes.

"A boy? Are you traveling with a boy?" I groaned inwardly. "Let me see him, now!" she ordered in her commanding tone. I sighed.

"Mom, I'm 13. I'll be fourteen in a few weeks. I think I can handle traveling with a boy-" I began.

"Now." She ordered. Another sigh escaped my lips. The last thing I wanted was for Jack to be exposed to the insanity of my incredibly weird family.

"But ma," I protested. "He's a good kid and he's a great battler-" She cut me off again.

"Arabel Sara Nightingale, now!" she said. I sighed for the third time.

"Hold on," I said sullenly. She had that satisfied parent look on her face, the one I hated. "Jack!" I called softly as Nurse Joy handed back his Pokéballs. He turned to look at me, minimizing them again and clipping them to his belt. I beckoned him over, meeting him halfway. "My mom wants to meet you. Keep it as short as you possibly can," I warned him. He grinned.

"Can do, boss," he told me with a salute. I rolled my eyes and lead him over to the phone.

"Mom, Jack Marcum. Jack, my mom, Sara," I said. Her name was my middle name. My mother scrutinized Jack with a raised eyebrow as I waited nervously in the background, rubbing Spark's head to his immense enjoyment.

"So where are you from?" she asked.

"Pewter City," he said.

"Your parents?" she inquired.

"Divorced, my father is dead. He used to train carrier Pokémon, and my mom runs a book store café." He told her. She nodded.

"How old are you and when did you leave?" I groaned and smacked my forehead silently. Why did she _have_ to interrogate him?

"I'm 15, I'll be sixteen in September, and I left two years ago." He replied.

"How many Pokémon do you have?" she queried.

"Four." He informed her.

"And they are…?" she trailed off expectantly.

"An umbreon, poliwhirl, growlithe and pidgeot." He said. Suddenly I saw my dad in the background.

"Oh god no-" I began horrified.

"Who are you talking to?" My dad asked, looking intently at Jack with furrowed eyebrows.

"The boy our daughter is traveling with!" she exclaimed. I groaned again and hit my forehead as Spark clapped in delight. My father turned an angry redish purple color, which appeared to interest Jack. It did to most people- that color wasn't normally seen on human flesh.

"And can you protect my daughter?" he said angrily. Jack kept his cool.

"I can sir," he replied. He opened his mouth but I tapped his shoulder and shook my head. He stepped back.

"Yes he can, dad," I told him wearily. "I fell off my bike yesterday and hit my head. Jack saved my egg and me," I informed him. My father narrowed his eyes. "Oh would you just give it a rest?" I asked, exasperated. They looked taken aback. "You let me go on this journey and now you're even more scared now that I'm with a boy?" I said, letting my hysterics get the better of me. Jack put a hand on my shoulder and I calmed down a little. "You two need to get your priorities straight," I warned them. My mom's face faded from anger to amusement.

"Yes ma'am. Check in whenever you get to a new city. Goodbye, dear," she said, reaching for the button to turn off the phone.

"Hey I'm not do-" my father was saying before he was cut off. I sighed in relief. I turned around. Jack looked amused.

"I hate my family," I muttered.


	7. The Battlers' Ball

**o4/o6/o6**Hello everyone, England here. Ahhh... Let's see. I got in from my flight last night and, surprise surprise, I actually wrote something. Several pages worth, in writing on lined notebook paper. It'll be probably about three pages in a Word doc. (my typical is 5-7), but of course I've got more to write. There's a bit I left out and I'm not even done. It should be up... Sunday? Maybe Saturday. Depends on my schedule. In other news, for your benefit and mine, I'm giving you a timeline.

Friday, June 10th: Ari leaves Vermillion & meets Jack

Saturday, June 11th: Ari & Jack help cure Cerulean Fever

Sunday, June 12th: Jack has his battle with Misty; they leave Cerulean

Monday, June 13th: the pair arrive in Saffron

**THE FUTURE!!!!**

Friday, June 17th: Celadon Pokemon Competition

All right, that's it. Thanks for all the reviews and actually bothering to read this.

Yours with Luff,

The Sherberty Lemon (England)

**o4/o7/o7**Hello. I actually got it up today. Surprising. Regardless, it's long, it's edited, and yes, it's fluff. It had to happen eventually. I apologize to those of you who detest it, there won't be a lot of it)

Thanks,

The Sherberty Lemon

The next day, Jack and I were taking a bike ride through Saffron, just to explore. Passing a huge office building Jack pointed out to me as Silph Co. (the largest of several), I caught sight of a colorful flyer tacked to a telephone pole. I skidded to a stop and squinted at it.

"Jack!" I squealed. "Come here!"

"What is it?" he called, wheeling around to slow down next to me, peering over my shoulder. "The Battlers' Ball?" he asked, confused. I turned to him, gaping.

"You've never heard of the Battlers' Ball?" I queried, incredulous. He shook his head.

"Nope," he said. I shook my head.

"The Battlers' Ball is a huge event that travels around Kanto, from one city to the next," I began, pointing at a list of dates at the bottom of the flier, one of which said "Saffron City, June 14th-15th". "First there's a competition, where trainers compete in one on one battles using only one Pokémon each." The picture of a charmeleon and wartortle battling fiercely on the poster showed that as well. "But there's something else," I continued. "The trainer who battles the best, judged on how fast they KO the opponent and their battle tactics, becomes the king of the battler's ball, or the queen, depending." He nodded.

"But what about the ball?" He asked. I nodded.

"I was getting there. Now. Each trainer that wins their individual battle gets two tickets to the ball the next night- one for them and one for a date." I explained. "The ball is this whole fancy affair and you have to dress up in costumes from the renaissance era," I continued, "But the king or queen leads the ball, along with their date," I told him. "They have the first dance and then the party starts, but after that, it's more like a dance party than a ball." I added. He nodded thoughtfully, looked at the poster again, and glanced to the big clock tower. He looked at me.

"Sign-ups end in 15 minutes at their pavilion on the west end of town," he told me. I looked up into his bright green eyes, pleading that my hope wasn't showing. I'd always wanted to go to a Battlers' Ball. They were televised and I'd always made sure to watch them, and my mother had even been the queen of the ball in her gym leader days. He smiled. "Ari, would you be my date to the Battlers' Ball, if I win, of course?" he asked politely. I smiled brightly.

"Of course I would, Jack." We watched each other for another few seconds before a blush grew on my cheeks and I looked away. "Let's go before the sign-ups are closed," I said, settling myself back on my bike as Jack did the same. We arrived just in time for Jack to sign up with Lunus before we headed back to our campsite so Jack could train. I settled down near the tiny spring at our clearing, Aquatrix in the water beside me, my egg in my lap, and Spark holding onto the back of my hat, as usual. As the morning progressed, Jack continued to train and I made lunch and dished out the Pokémon food. Jack was engrossed in a mock battle between Lunus and Sky when I approached him and put a hand on his shoulder. Startled, he turned around but smiled when he saw me. Wordlessly, I offered him the bowl of chicken noodle soup in my hand. I whistled for Lunus and Sky.

"Come on guys!" I called. "Lunch!" I pointed to our campsite where the other Pokémon were already digging in. Lunus galloped over and Sky flew as Jack gripped my shoulder briefly.

"Thanks," he said simply. I smiled, suddenly blushing, and nodded at the ground. I watched him follow his Pokémon and, puzzled by my own reaction, trotted obediently after him. _What was that about?_ I asked myself. I sighed and shrugged, scooping my egg into my arms as I sat on one of the logs I'd pulled up.

A few hours later, Spark and I were playing catch with a pebble when I noticed the sun making its latter journey to the west. I glanced at Jack, oblivious and doing sprints with his Pokémon. I winced as the rock hit my head and my pichu clapped happily as I scowled at him. Sighing, I smiled and beckoned him over. He skipped over and scrambled up my body as I moved over to Jack. He stopped when he saw me, his Pokémon following suit. He raised his eyebrows inquiringly.

"The competition should begin soon," I told him. "I'll make dinner. You go to the Pokémon center," He nodded.

"Thanks," he murmured. I smiled shyly and nodded. "Come on guys! One final run to the center!" he shouted. His Pokémon cried out in agreement and with another smile for me, he headed towards the town. I smiled too as he departed and shook my head, trotting over to our clearing to start the fire.

-------

The Battlers' Ball

"Next up will be the battle of Kenneth Stanch of our very own Saffron City and his sandslash versus Jack Marcum of Pewter City and his umbreon!" announced the herald as he shoved open the double doors leading to the backroom where the trainers and their potential dates waited. Jack rolled his shoulders back, smiling at me. I returned it.

"Good luck," I murmured as we trotted into the entrance behind Kenneth and his date. The dates were allowed to come onto the field for moral support. We were to sit on benches on opposite sides of the field as Jack and Kenneth battled. Kenneth and his date walked through the doors to great applause and I turned to Jack in the darkness, the only light coming from double doors ahead of us leading into the arena. Suddenly, I stood on my toes and kissed his cheek, blushing furiously.

"You'll be king, I know it," I murmured, staring at the ground. Jack smiled down at me and squeezed my hand quickly as the herald, in full renaissance dress, stepped into the arena and beckoned us forward. I settled on the bench with my egg and Spark, watching intently as the two called out their Pokémon. The battle was amazingly fast.

"Lunus! Let's roll!" Jack called, tossing his ball high into the air. There was a great cheer (lead by yours truly) as his beautiful umbreon appeared.

"Sandslash! Come on out!" Kenneth yelled in reply.

"Lunus, pursuit!" Jack commanded quickly. Lunus yelped in recognition and went after his prey.

"Sandslash! Underground!" Kenneth countered. The mousy Pokémon quickly went for the ground. Jack smirked, unnerving his opponent.

"Lunus! Iron tail on the ground!" He ordered. Lunus' rings began to glow and he began to pound the earth with his tail. The crowd watched with confusion and I glowed with pride as they finally began to see the tremors rippling through the battlefield. Kenneth bit his lip.

"Sandslash! Dig!" he yelled.

"Lunus! Stop!" Jack called. "You know what to do!" The umbreon yipped in agreement and stopped, closing his eyes. Suddenly he shot straight into the air just as the confused sandslash popped to the surface. "Quick attack!" Jack commanded. The battle was over.

"Jack Marcum of Pewter City is the winner!" shouted the herald to great applause. I jumped to my feet and ran to Jack, hugging him with the arm not holding my egg. Suddenly, a hot white light shone from my arms and I gasped as a hush fell over the crowd. We watched, mesmerized, as the egg shifted slowly to the form of an eevee. The light flared and went out and the cool, hard shell was replaced with fuzzy warmth. The entire audience waited with baited breath. The eevee looked at me.

"Ewee?" The cheering began again as I giggled happily. Jack too, was smiling, as he wrapped one long arm around my shoulders, the other waving to the crowd.

-------

"I can't believe you're the king!" I cried out happily as I skipped out of the building ahead of Jack. He laughed.

"I can't believe eevee hatched," he countered, nodding at the excited ball of fluff in my arms, already touching noses with Spark, teetering on my shoulder. I giggled and nuzzled her head with my nose. "What are you going to name her?" he asked, scratching her behind the ears. I pursed my lips.

"I was thinking Saffron, actually," I admitted, looking up at him as we unlocked our bikes. "For the city," I explained. He nodded.

"I like it," he murmured. I scratched her ears after depositing her in the basket.

"You like that girl?" I asked. She chirped happily. I smiled and gave Spark a scratch of reassurance before we set off again towards our campsite.

"What was the herald saying to you?" he asked me a minute later as he we pedaled up a gentle slope. I smiled.

"Well, he _was _trying to talk to you, but you were drowning in that crowd of girls," I quipped. He glared at me. Before we had left, a circle of admirers had closed in on Jack as I looked on in amusement. The herald, giving up, had found me and given me our instruction for the next day. I smiled.

"We have to be at the Saffron Crocus, the big hotel near Silph Co., at one tomorrow," I informed him. "They're going to provide our costumes and dinner will be at the ball," I explained. He squinted in confusion as we crested the hill.

"What are we doing there for five hours?" He asked. The ball started at six. I smiled again.

"Learning to dance," I told him. Jack groaned miserably.

"The price I pay," He muttered as we pulled into our clearing. I smiled at him.

"Thank you for entering," I said honestly as we got off our bikes.

"Of course," he murmured. Strangely content, I fell asleep quickly with Saffron cuddled against my chest and Spark slung, as if drunk, over my neck.

------

"Who knew I could dance?" I murmured, amazed I hadn't hurt either Jack or myself as we waltzed across the polished dance floor at the hotel the next day under the strict supervision of the unhappy, French-speaking dance dictator. Jack smiled down at me as he lifted my arm to twirl me to the melody of the lone violinist. I noticed for the first time his dazzlingly white teeth and wondered sarcastically if he'd ever done toothpaste commercials.

"1, 2, 3; 1, 2, 3!" The dance Nazi yelled, her voice heavily accented, clapping her hands in rhythm as the president of the Battlers' Ball nodded in approval.

"Get ready for the jump," Jack murmured. I nodded and moved my hands to his shoulders, frightfully aware of his hands on my waist as my feet lifted from the ground, my long skirt swishing around my ankles. Fortunately, I'd thought to learn to dance in a skirt and had worn my long one, a pretty gold color under a black t-shirt. Jack wore a white shirt with "The Battlers' Ball" in red and gold letters that he'd been given by the president over loose jeans. After a quick twirl that ultimately brought both me right up against Jack's muscled chest and the end of the music, the president, Carl Whitaker, stepped forward and clapped loudly. I quickly separated from Jack, slowing my slightly hurried breath.

"Very good, very good!" he cried jovially. Whitaker was a happy man, a rich philanthropist who'd made his fortune early in life owning a company that had greatly improved medical technology for Pokémon but now was only a connoisseur. He'd started the Battlers' Ball several years ago. His outlook on life was rather child-like, yet still kind and humorous. He glanced at his watch. "The ball is set to begin in on hour, so we're going to get you two into the backrooms for your costumes and etc.!" he told us cheerfully. "So go on back! Ari on the left, Jack on the right!" he added, ushering us through a hallway where we split up. I entered the room and gasped.

At least five gorgeous gowns hung on the wall, all which looked like they were designed with the renaissance in mind but with a modern twist. A table full of what I presumed correctly to be costume jewelry sat next to it, and there was a lighted mirror, the table under it covered in an array of neatly organized make-up and hair accessories. There were two women in the room, who I hadn't noticed. One stood by the gowns and jewelry, smiling proudly, pleased by my reaction. She had long red-gold hair tied into a deliberately messy bun, a slim figure covered in a long white sleeved top under a sparkling purple shirt and a short black skirt, a pencil stuck in her hair, a clipboard under her arm and a row of pins stuck in her shirt. I took her to be the designer of the gowns and my fitter, which surprised me. I had my own fitter. This was absurd. I glanced at the other woman. Her shadow hair stuck up in a ducktail, but the tip was dyed hot pink. She wore a black corset like top with pink lacings and dark jean capris covered sharpie scribbles and artful tears. She had jewelry pinned all over her lips, ears, and a small ring in her nose. Her make-up, black eyeliner, black eye shadow, and dark lipstick, was thick. She grinned cheerfully and clapped a straightening iron together menacingly. I smiled back. The first woman smiled.

"I'm Laura, your designer and fitter," she told me, echoing my suspicions almost exactly. She gestured to the other female. "This is Bekah. She's doing your make up and hair." I nodded.

"I'm Ari," I said. They nodded and smiled.

"This may seem a little overwhelming," she told me, "But it really is fun, and you'll look great for your king." She winked and I quickly turned red.

"He's not… We're not…" Bekah chuckled, pushing my flush even more. "We just travel together," I mumbled. Bekah smiled and beckoned me over. I obliged and sat in the seat, watching my red cheeks in the mirror.

"Yes, but you wish you were more," Bekah teased. I sighed and smiled.

"I think, but I don't know." I admitted as she pulled my hair out of its braid and Laura held up a dress for me to look at through the mirror.

-------

"Wow… You look… Wow," Jack murmured as we excited our dressing rooms at the same time. He was dressed in a white courtier's shirt that tightened and flared at the wrist, a black tunic trimmed in silver, and dark green breeches that complimented his eyes. I'd never noticed before how broad his shoulders were, but they filled out his tunic and shirt nicely. His hair was combed straight for once, instead of sticking up in the front like it usually did, but off to one side in a sophisticated look. A gold crown glinted on top of his rich brown locks; also costume jewelry, set with fake emeralds and fake blocks of onyx. I blushed darkly and looked at the marble floor as his eyes slid like oil over me.

My hair had been curled into tight ringlets that hovered around my shoulders, except for my bangs, which were pinned behind my head with a gorgeous (fake) silver butterfly clip. My gown was dark black satin with gold lace around the hems. It was strapless and was tight around my body until the waist, where it spread out to trail on the floor, hiding my tiny black heels. The top, however, was like a corset, midnight purple satin to the black, with black silk underneath and gold ribbon lacing. But that wasn't all. Intricately designed, a thin white thread was wrapped around each of my biceps. Hung from each was a yellow sleeve that ended at a gold bangle on my wrist, but the sleeve was slit down the front so that it only covered the back of my arm. On my head was a tiara, silver to Jack's gold, lacy, twirling and spinning with elaborate spins and studded with onyxes. His eyes found my face and he gasped, putting a finger under my chin to lift my face.

"Your mother will kill you!" he exclaimed. I smiled cheerfully. Stuck in my nose was a tiny fake diamond, attached by a slender gold chain to my right ear, from which also hung a similar chain with a fake pearl at the bottom, identical to the one in my left ear. Shimmering purple eye shadow was brushed over my lids and gold eyeliner struck the bottoms, plum lipstick dark on my lips. They'd managed to get blush on my cheeks, telling me I looked dead with dark eyes and pale skin. Not a huge make-up fan; that was the extent of it. A black ribbon choker circled my neck and a gold chain hung from it and dripped into the hem of my dress.

"The make-up woman offered it to me and I couldn't resist," I admitted, reaching up to finger the chain. Bekah had given me Advil and there was only slight pressure now, but it was definitely worth it. Jack shook his head and reached up to touch it as well, gently brushing my fingers out of the way. I watched him as his irises followed his fingers intently as they grazed across the material, slipping down my earring to my jaw and down my neck to my choker, feeling the satin raptly. I would've given the world to know what he was thinking in that moment. His fingers fell to the chain and I reached up to grab his wrist. Startled, he looked up at me.

"That's far enough," I told him. He looked confused I gestured to my chest, blushing lightly, as he realized where his hand was.

"Oh, god, I'm sorry," he said quickly, quickly retracting his hand. I smiled.

"It's fine," I murmured. He smiled back at me and leaned slightly to kiss my cheek. His warm breath, scented with chocolate I knew he had gotten in the back room, (there had been some in my dressing room) so close to my face led me to look up at him, and I realized then how tall he really was. As he was pulling away, the herald, still dressed in his costume and holding his staff, entered through the double doors, the quick opening revealing the noise from a crowd outside. Jack pulled away guiltily and the herald raised an eyebrow at Jack's averted eyes and my blush.

"Well, your majesties," he murmured. We looked at him. "It's time for you to go out. Get ready for your big number," he told us with a smile. I gave him my own troubled one, already nervous. He beckoned to us and we stood in front of the doors, my palm on his arm. The herald slipped out again and banged his staff loudly on the polished floor. There was silence.

"Their majesties," he began, his deep voice echoing in a way that sent chills down your spine, "Jack Marcum, the king, and his queen, Arabel Nightingale!" he continued. He slid to the side and Jack and I paced evenly into the light until we reached a few steps onto the dance floor. The violinist had turned into a quartet and they began to play, Jack and I falling easily into our rhythm. I smiled up at him as I heard sighs and swoons from the girls. He smiled wryly down at me, his eyes saying everything for him. The dance came to an end and Jack and I found ourselves in the center of the dance floor. He bowed and I curtsied to the waiting crowd, and applause broke out as our fingers linked us together and we waved proudly to the crowd, dressed in their costume finest. The whole ball glittered with cheer and beauty and a certain elegance to the winning trainers. The president approached us, wearing a modern tux, and waved to the crowd to silence them.

"Welcome!" he called in his booming voice. "To the June 15th, 2007, Saffron City Battlers' Ball!" He continued to raucous applause. "Your king, the powerful Jack Marcum of Pewter City!" Jack waved to the trainers, who cheered even louder. "And his beautiful queen, Arabel Nightingale, whose egg hatched into an eevee in celebration of Jack's victory!" I blushed lightly and waved as well as the crowd laughed and clapped for me as well. "Now," he murmured looking solemn. Then he threw his arms into the air. "Let the ball begin!" he shouted, confetti streaming from the ceiling and the crowd clamored in cheer, flooding onto the dance floor as a light went up on stage to reveal the DJ.

-------

"That was fun, wasn't it?" Jack asked me later that night. It was about one in the morning and we had just left the ball. As the king, Jack had to make a grand exit and Whitaker had chosen to take us out of the ball in a horse drawn carriage, a large white affair drawn by two grandly saddled rapidashes. We'd been allowed to keep our costumes, a gift from Whitaker, and our clothes were in a bag on the floor of the carriage. I mumbled something unintelligibly from my place leaning on his shoulder. I was dead tired and Jack had been forced to carry me into the carriage, much to the amusement of the trainers, though he was so used to it now, he didn't care. He sighed.

"That can't be comfortable, can it?" he asked me.

"Better than my other options," I muttered. A tiny smile pulled at his lips as the carriage trundled along.

"Don't fight," he warned.

"Mmf." I replied grumpily. "Not like I could if I wanted to," I added. He shook his head in amusement and his arms slid under my knees and my back, lifting me up to put me in his lap. I pulled away and looked up at him, hoping I wasn't trembling. The evening had solidified my suspicion that even through five days, I already liked Jack. He smiled.

"It's more comfortable," he told me. I shrugged and he pulled me into him, my head on his collarbone, his arms wrapped protectively around me. It _was_ more comfortable, I admitted to myself, my nose tucked under his chin. He was warm, and his shoulder was soft, and I felt safe…


	8. Contests of Another Kind

**Terrible chapter, not worth the wait, sorry it sucks. Hah, I'm going to make you guys suffer terribly. Nothing **_**real**_** happens until second to last chapter, which, incidentally, I've already written. Hah.**

** 3**

**The Sherberty Lemon**

"I don't think I'm ready for this."

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"Yeah… I mean… The time just isn't right.

"You mean…"

"I need more experience."

"But you can learn a lot your first time."

"I know, but I think I'd rather see experts do it."

"If you're sure."

"I am."

"Another time?"

"I promise."

Jack and I were standing outside the Celadon contest hall on Thursday evening, the sun setting behind us as I looked apprehensively through the glass walls at the trainers and their Pokémon were scattered throughout the lobby. I sighed. Wednesday we'd both woken up about noon, having completely crashed the night before. I woke up in my wrinkled gown, being ultimately happy when Jack, blushing horribly, had said he knew I would rather have ruined the gown then have him undress me. We'd spent that afternoon relaxing and discussing my options for attack combinations in the appeal contest. Thursday was practice of our combination, which ultimately ended as rain dance, aurora beam to make them ice drops, and acid armor to protect Aquatrix from her own attacks, as well as battle practice. Then we'd hitched a ride on a train to Celadon that evening in time to make it for the closing of the entries.

"Let's grab dinner and find a camp site, shall we?" Jack shook his head.

"I've got family here," he informed me. "My aunt and uncle and their son," he added, remounting his bike. I nodded.

"Where?" I asked, hopping onto my own.

"The north side of the town, near that giant building," he told me, pointing forward. I squinted as we pedaled away from my first contest.

"What is that, anyway?" I asked.

"Game Freak industries," he replied. I gaped.

"Game Freak?" I asked. He smiled and nodded. Game Freak was the most popular gaming industry in Kanto, and had branches in other regions as well, such Lilycove City and Hoenn. They made popular roleplaying games where you could travel around the regions and catch Pokémon and beat gym leaders and the Elite Four like a real trainer. I had always wanted a game of my own, but my mother frowned upon video games, telling me to shut up and wait for my own journey. "Can we go?" I pleaded. "The contest doesn't start until four," I wheedled hopefully. He smiled again.

"Of course. My uncle works there," he said. I squeaked.

"Yay! Thank you!" I exclaimed. He laughed. I paused. "Does your family know we're coming?" I asked. He nodded again.

"There was a phone on the train and I called while you were asleep," he said. I nodded. We pulled up into a lane of grand mansions with winding driveways line with trees. I gaped at Jack.

"What exactly does your uncle do?" I murmured, awed, as we pulled up to one of the largest. He smiled.

"Vice president," he admitted. I shook my head.

"You're insane." He grinned and pressed the intercom button on the spiraling black iron gate.

"Who's there?" Came a voice.

"Uncle Eddy, it's me, Jack." There was a pause.

"Jack, my boy! Come on in!" the gates swung open, the hinges squeaking in protest.

"Thanks!" he replied, taking his finger from the button. We pedaled up the long drive and I gaped at it all. A security officer and his houndoom patrolled the grounds and bug Pokémon peeked out at us from the trees. A hoothoot hooted (tee hee) and we passed a pond full of colorful goldeen and other Pokémon. Finally we found the front door, a huge affair of polished cherry wood and golden handles and a doorknocker shaped like the muzzle of an arcanine. As we pulled in front of it, it opened and a maid popped her head out.

"Are you Jack?" she asked in a French accent. Jack nodded. She disappeared and another man slid out. "Zis is Kevin. He will take your bikes," she informed us stiffly. I gathered Saffron into my arms, checked Spark was still on my head, and stepped off, handing it to the gruff man. He took them and disappeared toward another building, probably the garage. She beckoned us in. "Ze family is waiting for you to eat dinner," she continued. I hoped I didn't look too shabby in my black collared shirt with pink stripes, over a red tank top with lace at the top and dark jeans. I followed Jack, wearing a black polo with white stripes and khakis, nervously up the marble steps and into the grand house. The entrance room was like a palace and bigger than my entire home, stretching up about three floors. A spiral staircase with a gold banister followed the walls up and the floor was tan marble, a table in the middle holding a grand bouquet of flowers. The maid glared at my attire and I flushed darkly, pulling off my hat and patting my hair down as she led us primly out of the room, through about another eight, and finally into a large dining room.

Thankfully though, Jack's family was a sensible one. His uncle was dressed in a simple collared shirt and slacks, a little pudgy from his desk job, but otherwise cheerful and fit. His wife, however, was stunning, even though she was older than forty, by my guessing, she looked to be about 25. Her auburn hair curled and spiraled around her narrow shoulders, her slim but not quite curvaceous, rather boyish, figure fitted with a black dress. Her face was pale, her cheekbones high and sharp, her nose the same. Stunning green eyes smiled at us, as did full cherry lips, and I knew it was she who Jack was related to by blood. Perhaps his mother's sister? Their son was as handsome as Jack and looked to be the same age, with his father's coal locks and blue eyes, but he was as thin as his mother, though not without muscle, which I could see by his white polo and jeans. He also had her face, thin, pale and snub, but not without kindness. The woman got up and trotted over, kissing Jack's face.

"Jack, it's great to see you again! My you've grown!" she exclaimed happily. Her voice even reminded me of Jack's, and I guessed she and his mother were twins. She turned to me with a raised eyebrow, a flush falling over Jack's cheeks. "And who's this?" she asked pleasantly. Judging by his reaction, she was definitely his mother's sister. I smiled and shook her hand firmly as her husband and son came to stand next to her.

"I'm Arabel Nightingale," I introduced myself to the three with a little bow. "I travel with Jack. Thank you for taking us tonight," I added with a grateful smile. She laughed and waved a hand.

"Oh, don't worry. It'll be good to have another girl around," she teased. I chuckled. "I'm Arielle, by the way," she added and she moved out of the way, letting her husband introduce himself.

"Hello!" he said jovially. "I'm Edward, but call me uncle Eddie!" he said, laughing. I smiled and he kissed my cheek, shaking my hand.

"Very nice to meet you, uncle Eddie," I said indulgently. He moved out of the way for his son, the last to take my hand and kissing it gently. I flushed and tried to smile.

"Taylor," he introduced himself quietly. "You're beautiful," he murmured casually as the blush darkened. He smiled, apparently enjoying it. "As is you're eevee, " he added, reminding me of the fluffy Pokémon in my arms. I smiled. A compliment to her was one I could take.

"Thank you," I murmured. "She was a gift," I added, with a smile up to Jack, who looked like he was trying to hide a little impatience or anger. Arielle clapped her hands.

"Well let's get back to dinner, shall we?" she suggested happily. I nodded and found two extra seats, one next to Arielle and one next to Taylor. Thinking of the one next to Jack's aunt, I found myself being led around the table. I glanced down in surprise- Taylor still held my hand. I shrugged internally and let him show me my seat, blushing pleasantly when he pulled out my chair and pushed it back in. I deposited Saffron on the floor, finding no room for her on my seat, promising to slip her some table scraps. As if on cue, two more maids and a servant, all in prim dress, entered from a door I hadn't noticed, carrying plates. It was some intricate chicken dish that smelled godly. It was placed in front of me, but I scanned my hosts to see what they would do, following as they put their napkins in their laps and began cutting the chicken, in some sort of glaze.

"So Arabel," Arielle said after chewing thoughtfully. I hadn't realized how close our names were. "What are you doing on your journey?" she asked curiously. I swallowed and wiped my mouth self-consciously.

"I plan to be a Pokémon coordinator," I told them. "I'm also going to try to catch all five evolutions of eevee," I continued. "Uncle" Eddie nodded in appreciation.

"That's an admirable goal, miss," he told me. I smiled at Jack.

"That's what he said." Jack returned the smile.

"And when did you meet Jack?" Arielle queried intently.

"A few days ago, actually. I was leaving Cerulean, my hometown, and we met in the woods," I explained. They nodded.

"Are you going to participate in the contest tomorrow?" Taylor asked suddenly. I turned to him, shaking my head.

"It was a thought, but I don't have enough practice," I told him. He nodded.

"What Pokémon do you have? Aside from your eevee of course, and your pichu," he added, nodding at the two. I smiled as Spark scrambled from my head to my shoulder, peering curiously at the other boy.

"All I have is my vaporeon, Aquatrix. I left home with her," I replied. I looked at him curiously. "Do you have any Pokémon?" I asked. He nodded.

"A scyther," he told me. "And a beautifly," he added. I nodded, my respect growing. Beautiflys were rare in Kanto, more prominent in Hoenn. "I'll be participating in the contest tomorrow," he surprised me by saying. He glanced at Jack, then back to me. "Will you be there?" he asked keenly. I looked at Jack too, who nodded, apparently glaring at his cousin. Ignoring it, I returned to Taylor, nodding with a smile.

"Yes. It'll give me a chance to see real coordinators in action," I explained. He nodded and the questions turned to Jack and his family, and I learned more about him, his four younger sisters, Mariel, Carly, Emma and Jeanine, his mother, Gabrielle, whose name and the likeness to Jack's aunt's name made me even more sure they were related, and Jack's brother, Gideon. I ate in silence, blushing as Taylor caught me feeding Saffron some bits of asparagus (which I hated anyway), which only led him to ask one of the maids to bring some food for her and Spark. I smiled gratefully and he nodded. Finally, desert was served, a gorgeous looking chocolate mousse in champagne glasses, topped with strawberry cream. It was then we fell into a bit of an awkward silence. Finally, I turned to "uncle" Eddie.

"Eddie, do you think we could perhaps take a tour of the Game Freak studios before Jack and I leave?" I queried politely. "I was never able to buy any of the games. My mother was slightly biased against video games," I explained shyly. He gave his hearty chuckle.

"Of course, my dear," he said indulgently. Taylor looked at his father.

"I can take them, dad," he suggested quietly. "Don't you have that meeting with the Prime Minister of Sinnoh about rights?" he reminded his father. The man looked thoughtful and then burst into laughter, causing me to stifle a giggle as Jack smiled at me, making my heart beat faster. I composed myself in time for Eddie to commend his son.

"You're a better VP than I am!" he told his son proudly. Taylor tried to smile. I glanced at Jack, who shrugged. I looked to his uncle instead.

"We're working on a game based in Sinnoh, but before we do anything, we have to work out rights and things with Sinnoh's government, about their maps, their gym leaders, etc." he explained. "Their elite four is also involved. They have a surprising amount of power in each region," he added thoughtfully. I nodded, intrigued.

"I never knew there was politics involved in video games," I said thoughtfully. Eddie laughed heartily and even I smiled as Arielle shook her head in amused exasperation. Eddie glanced at his nephew.

"You've caught yourself a good one!" he commended Jack. Arielle put her face in her hands, Taylor looked stoic, and, for the first time, I saw Jack blush. Jack was never embarrassed. He was one of those cool kids that was never thrown. Even through my own blush, I managed an amused smile as he returned an apologetic one.

"Sorry," he mouthed. I smiled lightly and nodded. I didn't mind. In fact, I was curious as to what his reaction would be, which was a mixture of embarrassment, exasperation and amusement, nothing that gave me any clue of how he felt in return. I let out a long breath to cover a sigh and we dug in to our deserts, now comfortable with the silence.

After a short conversation in one of the several living rooms, the annoying French maid showed us to our rooms after a quiet word with Taylor. Interestingly enough, my room was to the left of Taylor's; Jack's was at the end of the hall. Jack looked annoyed as he disappeared into his room. I smiled and walked softly into my own. It was lavish for a guest room. The bed was large, a queen sized, with a soft blue bedspread, similarly colored pillows, and a canopy of sheer blue with silver embroidery. Saffron immediately curled up on the bed, while Spark dashed around, examining everything in sight. There was a table on either side of the bed, a connected bathroom brimming with marble and gold embellishments, a writing desk, a closet, a dresser, a bookshelf and an elaborate bay window with a sill covered with plush cushions so you could sit and look out the window. Still looking around, I noticed a door, closed, to the left. Wondering if, for some reason, it was another closet, I beckoned to the roaming electric type Pokémon, who scrambled over and up my body to my head again as I gently opened the door a crack. I narrowed my eyes as I stared at the wood, hearing music gently playing from wherever the door led. It was classical, in high taste.

Filled with curiosity, I glanced at Spark, not cautious at all, who nodded excitedly and gave a whispery chirp. I smiled and opened the door a tiny bit farther, peeking around and holding in a gasp. It was a door into Taylor's room, and Taylor was in it. Changing. I remembered Arielle telling me that the mansion had once been a hotel. They must not have converted the rooms. Unable to tear my eyes away in preteen fascination, I watched as he lifted the polo from his lithe frame. He was muscled, the same kind of skinny muscle I'd seen on Jack when he'd slept without a shirt on the previous night, the weather over Saffron getting hotter as the summer went on. His skin was tanned, showing use from the pool out back that I'd seen through a window, but there were no bad lines. He flipped his hair out of his face and I watched as he pulled a Pokéball from the belt of his jeans and call it out. I hid my gasp of delight as I watched a beautifly appear. She was absolutely gorgeous.

He smiled at her and held out his arm, which the Pokémon landed on, twittering her call and gently nudging her trainer with her antennae. He opened a jar on his desk and fed her a treat, running an unfittingly yet somehow perfectly gentle finger down her wings. Suddenly he looked up and I pulled back, thinking he'd seen me. A smile pulled at his lips but he turned back to his Pokémon. I shut the door quickly and quietly and sagged against the wall.

"He saw me," I whispered to myself. "He caught me watching him change!" I moaned miserably. _It was the beautifly,_ I thought defensively. I sighed and straightened out. It couldn't be disputed. Taylor was pretty handsome too. A knock on my door made me jump. I straightened myself out, expecting Taylor to come and ask me why I'd been staring at him, and opened the door after gulping decisively. I smiled in relief at my visitor- it was Jack.

"May I?" he asked politely. I nodded and moved out of his way, unable to lift my eyes from the ground. I felt embarrassed that I'd been watching Taylor, as if I'd been… Cheating. He stepped past me and found a seat on my bed, stroking Saffron, who yawned and instead curled up on his lap, causing me to smile. He smiled up at me, making my heart melt. I knew that if I was ever angry, one of his smiles would make me forgive him an instant.

"Just here for a chat, or something to talk about?" I asked after clearing my throat from its catch. He shrugged and looked down at my Pokémon again.

"Taylor is…" he began, trailing off. I guessed he was deciding whether or not to be honest about something. I leaned against my bedpost and raised an eyebrow.

"Hitting on me?" I supplied. It was the truth, after all. Following desert, Jack and I had been led for more casual talk to a sitting room we hadn't passed, excluding the four or so we _had _seen on our way from the front door to the dining room. Taylor's hand had somehow found the small of my back, and his seat had been next to mine on the plush loveseat I'd found. Then he'd wooed my affections by playing with my Pokémon, drawing my attentions from a disgruntled Jack, which I'd tried not to enjoy too much. Jack smiled at me.

"Always blunt, aren't we," he murmured. I managed a wobbly smile back.

"Beating around the bush isn't my thing," I explained, staring at my feet as if fascinated. He chuckled lightly.

"Just don't… Don't get too into things," he warned me, not looking at me either. I looked up at him, not letting my expression reveal anything. He managed to glance back, but looked away again. "I'm just… This is like advice from an older brother." He muttered. I smiled sadly. He was just looking out for me, like he'd give to any of his sisters. I hid a sigh.

"Thank you," I murmured. "I can deal with boys," I lied firmly. _Except when they're changing,_ my mind whispered. I would have glared at it, had it not all been metaphorical. I sighed again. "Do you know where I can find a phone?" I asked him. "I forgot to call my mom in Saffron," I added. He nodded and gently placed Saffron on the bed.

"Come on," he told me as Saffron stared at him with her big, doe eyes. He smiled at her and kissed her forehead, and I saw the same gentleness that I'd seen with Taylor and his beautifly pass between Jack and my Pokémon. I smiled weakly as he stood up straight again and looked at me with his bright green eyes. He held out a hand. "I'll show you where the phone is," he prompted. I nodded and, hands firmly kept in my pockets, followed him out the door and down the hall into a nearby study. He pointed to a videophone. I smiled and thanked him, moving to the phone and punching in my number. My brother appeared. I smiled.

"Hi Sam!" I said excitedly. Sure we were different but hell he was my twin. He smiled brightly.

"Belle!" he replied. He was the only one who called me Belle, and I only tolerated it from him. Self-conscious as I was, it was weird to think of myself being called 'beautiful', even if it was in a different language. "What's up! How are your Pokémon?" he paused and looked suspicious and I blanched. I knew what was coming. "I hear you're traveling with a guy who's two years older than you," he said. I groaned and heard a stifled laugh behind me. Jack was actually still there, playing with Spark, who'd apparently followed us from the room. I glared at him and turned back to my brother.

"Yes I am, his name's Jack." I told him loftily. He craned his neck as if to see behind me the handsome boy I was in love with. I blocked his view. "Don't even think about it, loser." I told him firmly. "Let me talk to mom." He glared at me and I heard another chuckle. I flipped him the middle finger behind my back, smirking a little as my brother 'hmphed' and put my mom on the phone.

"Ari!" she exclaimed. "How are you?" she asked, smiling. She smirked knowingly. "How's Jack?" she asked, her eyebrows going up and down obnoxiously. I was furious by this time. I turned around and stared at Jack.

"Not. A. Word." I said. He grinned innocently. I turned to my mother again. "We're fine. I forgot to-" she cut me off with a squeal.

"Oh my goodness! You didn't even call us when Jack won the ball!" she exclaimed. My mother tended to have memory flashes such as these. I winced.

"H-how did you know?" I asked tentatively. She giggled like a teenager.

"Oh! It was on TV! Didn't you know? Even the battle!" I bit my lip. "We even saw your eevee hatch! You two are adorable!" she squealed. I wanted to shoot my self. I turned around. Spark was on a couch, watching Jack curiously as he tried to fit his hand into his mouth to stop the laughing that was emanating from him regardless. Fury had turned into exasperation. I sighed.

"Mom. I'm in Celadon City. We're going back to Saffron in a couple of days so Jack can battle Sabrina. I don't know where we're going from there." I said firmly. She was still giggling. "Good night," I said tiredly. I hung up before she could get in another word. "You old bat," I added in a mutter. I stalked past and grabbed Spark, letting him run up my arm and swatted Jack on the head before disappearing. He laughed, his hand fully removed from his mouth, and trotted to catch up with me. He smirked, catching me at my door, his mood suddenly playful, or even a little more. He caught my elbow in his hand and I looked up at him, my heart pounding, my back in my doorway. He smiled.

"We are adorable, aren't we," he said. My breath caught in my throat and I was positive the mansion was pounding with my heart. I was trembling and my palms were sweating. I couldn't read his expression or tone and I was utterly and completely confused. He kissed my cheek. "Good night, Arabel," he said cheerfully, letting go of me and trotting down the hall, whistling some tune or other and disappearing into his room. I stared at nothing, the words drifting from my mouth in a horrified mutter:

"What in fuck's name is going on?"


	9. Making Jack Jealous

**Hey everyone. Late update, but expect them around this time. I've had this one edited, but it's by someone else, and I haven't read it, so I don't know what it looks like. Enjoy the chapter and please read the author's note at the bottom. Just some interesting facts **

**Yours,**

**The Sherberty Lemon**

"Mademoiselle, please get up. It is quite late," came the voice of that irritating maid I hated. Stuck up Frenchie. I groaned and blinked my eyes open to annoyingly bright sunlight. My eyelids flickered up and down before finally focusing on the woman's round face.

"Quelle heure est il?" I asked, using pretty much the only French I remembered from my five years in elementary school. She smirked and I assumed I'd used it wrong or something.

"7:30," she replied. My eyes shot open and I pointed towards the doorway.

"Thank you. Out please." I said. She blinked.

"But mademoiselle must-" she began with a frown.

"Out." I said angrily. She hmphed and twittered, flouncing out of the room. I groaned. I'd gotten to sleep about 2 the night before, or earlier in the morning. Jack had 'said goodnight' around 11 and I'd spent an hour reading a random book I'd found on the bookshelf, one of those trashy romance novels about the guy with the long hair and impossible muscles and the girl who can't do anything, then swooned in misery about why Jack wasn't my knight in shining armor until about 1, and then considered what in God's name his good night had meant until I'd fallen asleep an hour later. And here I was, five freaking hours later, awake. I wanted to shoot that maid. I rolled over to get away from the sunlight, only to hear a knock at the door. I sprang forward. Who the hell was it now?

"Who is it?" I asked tentatively.

"Taylor," came the voice. I bit my lip. I was wearing only a tank top with nothing under it and shorts, but I didn't want to make him wait. I yanked on my cover until it came free and pulled it to my neck.

"Uh, come in!" I called, cracking a yawn. The young man entered my room and I couldn't help but be dazzled again by his good looks. His dark hair shone to be really a dark gold color in the sunlight and his eyes sparkled, though somehow unwillingly, as if he had to keep on a business-like front at all times. He was wearing a fitted orange and white striped shirt and grey slacks. I smiled weakly. "Good morning," I murmured, not moving my hands or blanket. He smiled.

"Trixie told me you wouldn't get up," he explained, finding a seat at the foot of my bed. I blushed- my stubbornness was practically infamous. I nodded and he only smiled. "We actually must get an early move if you want to see the studio," he told me apologetically. I nodded.

"All right-" I said, but he cut me off.

"I've got a request," he said. I nodded and smiled.

"Sure." I replied. It couldn't be that bad.

"We're allowed to bring someone back into the locker room until it's time to perform," he began, not tentative, not embarrassed, but oh so cool. I envied him. "Would you like to come back with my Beautifly and I?" he queried. Jack's face was the first thing in my mind, pursed lips, impatiently rolled eyes. But I knew guys reacted to jealousy, especially when it was a relation. Part one of my plan, which had just kind of appeared in my head, was set in motion: make Jack jealous. I smiled at the waiting boy.

"I'd love to." I replied sweetly. He smiled.

"Good. We'll be eating in about half an hour," he informed me briskly, standing up and turning to me. I raised an eyebrow and before I knew it, he'd gently captured one of my hands and kissed my knuckles gently before smiling at me and disappearing. As he was walking out the door, he sent me one last glance then proceeded to shut it tightly. It was then I noticed my blanket had fallen around my waist.

"Oh for…" I groaned and got out of bed, rubbing my forehead and heading for the shower. "Payback for me watching him last night," I muttered, just remembering the incident and thankful as hell he hadn't mentioned it. Ten minutes later and soaked, I dashed around my room, feeling extremely indecent. "Freaking mansion and I can't even find a towel," I muttered miserable. Finally I found one in a shelf at the top of the huge closet I had to stand on a chair to get to. My thin hair took half an hour to dry, but I let it hang straight and let the ends curl, feeling like a change after a week of my braid. I found my remaining clothes, what I thought might be appropriate for the day, a white collared shirt under a blue vest and a light pink skirt. I frowned- I'd need to find a washing machine, but I was afraid of giving them to Trixie or whatever her name was in case she burned them or something. I sighed and glanced at myself. I pursed my lips and dug through my bag until I found my old costume jewelry from the Battler's Ball. That night seemed weeks ago. I smiled and pinned in my nose ring and clipped on the black ribbon, letting the gold chain dangle dangerously into the v-neck of my shirt. Lastly I found a sheer orange scarf in my bag, thin and not too warm, just for decoration, and tied it around my neck so that the two ends were even. I slipped on my hat and long, nerdy pink socks under my Adios. I looked in the mirror. I had that kind of cute nerd thing going on, which was all I could really get, in my opinion. But I smiled: not too bad for making Jack jealous.

Whistling to Saffron and Spark, I dashed out of my room with the two of them at my heels and got lost traversing the hallways, cursing my plain idiocy. I couldn't even be a dumb blond or something. No, I was just the skinny chick with no chest who gets lost in a house. I sighed and followed my ears to what was the kitchen, passed it, and found Arielle, Eddy, Jack and Taylor waiting for me. I blushed darkly, my hands folded meekly in front of me.

"Er… I'm sorry. I got uh, lost," I admitted, fingering the hem of my shirt. Arielle smiled at me.

"It's all right. I was always late when I started living here," she told me. I smiled back and found the seat next to Taylor again, turning my smile to him and almost ignoring Jack. I just gave him a nod as Spark climbed into my lap and Saffron sat at my feet. Taylor smiled and I blushed in what I hoped was a flirty manner.

I definitely wasn't an expert at it. I'd had about four close friends all through elementary school, which ended at fifth grade. Then a kid could either pick to continue school, which went through middle and high school, and university was optional, or they could begin a journey or otherwise. My friends had all been girls, Fiona, Kat, Tori and Willow, and we'd never been that into guys. In fact, I'd been the closest to a guy, but he was Sam's friend and pretty much just plain icky. Sam and his friends were just kind of weird and gross all together. But I was still an amateur in the realm of flirting. Regardless, Taylor seemed to appreciate it. It felt like he was going to say something, but the maids arrived with pancakes and he decided to wait until the family was otherwise occupied. They soon were interrogating Jack about his travels. Taylor chose his moment to speak.

"You look good with your hair like that," he murmured, handing a piece of cantaloupe to Saffron and then a strawberry to Spark. I smiled at him, ignoring his compliment.

"Thank you. They enjoy your company," I teased, watching Spark nibble at the berry. He smiled.

"I love Pokémon," he explained simply. I smiled and we returned to our breakfasts. As we made our way to the driveway thirty minutes later, after I'd settled Spark on my hat and Saffron in my arms, I discovered that Taylor was in fact sixteen, a year older than Jack. I would have been a lot more weirded out about the age difference had I not been set to turn fourteen in about two weeks.

AN: the current date is Sunday, June 17th. I'm following the real, 2007 calendar.

I discovered this fact when I asked how we were getting to the Game Freak studios and Taylor coolly offered me a ride on his motorcycle. I gaped. Jack looked pretty disgruntled.

"What about me?" he quipped, hiding his anger as if just asking a regular question, folding his arms over his chest, which was, in turn, covered by a blue shirt with a wide white stripe and white sleeves, along with jeans and sneakers. I smiled at the simple fact that I knew he was hiding it. Taylor shrugged.

"Get a ride from dad. I just want to let Ari have a ride," he explained to his cousin. I was so happy inside. Two guys, both three years older than me, were fighting over me! Weird, loner, sarcastic, not-pretty me! Hell, this was awesome. I'd have to call Tori- she was a gossip queen. Jack glanced at me. I pouted, choosing my words carefully.

"Oh please, Jack, I've always wanted to!" I begged, making it look like I wanted to be with Taylor even more. He gave me a pointed look, mentally reminding me of our previous night's chat. I ignored it and gave him the puppy dog look. Eddie trotted out of the house and glanced at us, quickly figuring out the situation. He wasn't a multi-region corporation vice president for nothing.

"Jack, come on! You get the good car," he teased. He smiled at me. "Let her take a ride on the motorcycle." He turned his assuring smile to Jack. "I promise she won't get hurt. Taylor's a very good driver." Jack couldn't say anything. With a final glare at his cousin that I pretended not to notice, he trotted into one of the other garages (who needs four garages? Well, Uncle Eddie and his family with their seven cars and Taylor's bike) as Taylor led me into the one we were facing, showing me a gorgeously shiny bike. I ran my finger over the smooth leather, intrigued. Taylor smiled and handed me a helmet, pulling out a simple pair of classy sunglasses for himself. He mounted his bike and turned to me.

"Hop on," he said in his quietly cool manner. I smiled and put both of my Pokémon on the ground, calling them into their Pokéballs and pocketing them in my vest. I slid on the helmet and straddled the back of the bike. This was going to be freaking awesome. He was still looking at me, but a smile had grown on his face, a kind of unnerving one, one that looked triumphant, cocky and a little wicked at the same time. I simply smiled back. "Hold on tight," he told me firmly. I nodded and wrapped my arms around his stomach, my chest against his back. _Is it possible to have muscles this strong?_ I wondered, amazed. I bet if I'd smacked his stomach, I would've hurt my hand more than hurt him. I smiled wryly, realizing that Jack had the same kind of muscles. "Ready?" he murmured.

"Yeah!" I called from beneath the helmet.

"All right," he said. I heard a smile. "Get ready." The engine revved and in a blur we were off. I gaped even as I buried my face in his shoulder. He really _was_ a good driver. He sped down the driveway and made an amazingly smooth turn. _What an enigma,_ I thought wryly. I peeked around his shoulder, watching the world blur past us.

"This is amazing!" I shouted over he wind. He laughed.

"I'm glad you enjoy it!" he replied loudly. He nodded towards the end of the long street. "Hold on tighter. Sharp turn!" he ordered. I nodded and scooted the tiniest bit closer to him, wrapping my arms as far as I could around his broad torso. I could practically see Jack's jealous face in Porsche behind us through Taylor's side mirror. I squinted, surprised. I actually could. I laughed. This was working out way better than expected.

The ride continued easily as Taylor pointed out landmarks to me, like the Celadon Gym, which was actually a greenhouse, the Celadon Department store, the biggest freaking store I'd ever seen, and the Game Corner, a gambling house open to all ages. Celadon was the only city in Kanto that legalized gambling. It was that way in all regions: the United World Regions, a political association that existed on a small resort island in the middle of the ocean that belongs to no region, encompassed governmental representatives from every city in all of the six regions, as well as two others from each region, a Pokémon Living Coordinator, who spoke for the Pokémon and kept habitats alive and away from urbanization, and a Minister of Training, who kept order on the gyms, Elite Fours, battle halls and contests in his or her individual region. Each representative was democratically elected, as well as the region's Prime Minister and cabinet, and served a term of four years. My mother had served as Cerulean's city rep after her gym leader days, before she had Sam and I and moved to Vermillion. I was an expert in all this: we had learned all about the governmental system in elementary school.

We arrived at Game Freak in minutes. It was as big, if not bigger, than the Celadon department store. I tried not to laugh as Taylor handed a keycard to the man guarding the entrance to the basement garage. Talk about growing up too fast. The man raised an eyebrow at me, obviously acquainted with Taylor, but the young man sped into the lot, shortly followed by his father and Jack. I smiled at Taylor as I handed him my helmet. He smiled back and brushed mussed hair out of my face, his calloused fingers surprisingly gentle. I smiled and blushed, as if timid. In truth I probably would have smacked his hand away and made a joke about him being touchy feely, but hey- Jack was right behind us as he got out of Eddie's Porsche. Damn nice car by the way. When we met up again, Eddie nodded at his son, who returned it, and we headed for the elevator, shy little me tucked in between Jack and Taylor. Judging by Jack's pursed lips, he noticed the hand on my back. The gentlemanliness was nice, but I could get around fine. I sighed lightly. _It's all for Jack_.

We found the elevator, which was absurd for an elevator, carpeted in velvet and walled in shiny glass mirrors. The panels over the buttons had to be gold or something. I rolled my eyes. Stupid corporate world. I chose a moment of independency and found a corner to hide in, my hands on the thick wooden rails. Eddie turned to me and smiled as he hit a button for the first floor and then the top floor, which I was interested to see was only the fifth floor. The building had to be deeper than I thought.

"How'd you like it?" he asked. I smiled cheerfully.

"It was a lot of fun." I laughed. "Maybe I'll get a motorcycle to replace my bike when I'm old enough," I joked. Eddie laughed, ignoring the all too pubescent males. He was a better father than I had guessed. He knew kids. I snorted to myself. He was a video game CEO after all. The elevator dinged and opened to a busy but cheerful lobby, graced with a large secretaries' desk that had three busy women working in it, several couches and some people milling around. Eddie nodded to us.

"I'll leave you here. I'll be in my office, but don't bother. My meeting should start in about ten minutes," he told us. Taylor nodded and we stepped out as the doors shut behind us. He turned to Jack and I, who now occupied the place at my side. He gestured around.

"This is the lobby. Nothing interesting really happens here, but some of the programmers come down here when they need breaks." I chuckled, seeing one guy asleep on a couch and three more extremely nerdy ones drinking coffee under red-rimmed eyes in a circle. There were even a few Pokémon, a meowth, a nidoran and a clefairy, just randomly milling around.

"They pull all-nighters often?" I asked curiously. Taylor laughed.

"See the one with the black hair?" he asked. Jack and I nodded. "I know him, from hanging around here. He told me that mostly what happens is that they get caught up playing prototypes or actual games that they end up staying the night by accident. Then they come here and stay until the end of the work day," he explained. I snorted.

"Dorks," I muttered. Taylor grinned as Jack laughed.

"They're the only ones who do the job right," he admitted with a shrug and a smile. "Come on," he said, leading us towards a set of stairs. We went up and the second floor looked the much the same, ornamental-wise, with the same carpet, windows, vases of flowers and paintings of the different regions, most prominently those about Kanto. Taylor put a finger to his lips and pointed to a bunch of glass walls, that shielded conferences of about eight or so figures each who were talking animatedly. "This is the conference floor," he told us quietly. Even as we watched, Eddie, three men who were looking curiously around, betraying their informality with the place, who I took to be Sinnoh's prime minister and his staff, as well as a fifth man who I assumed to be the president. I frowned, watching them.

"Can they see us?" I asked. Taylor shook his head.

"Good catch. One way windows," he explained. "So we don't bother the working groups. He gently took my hand and led us towards the stairwell again. I'm pretty sure we both enjoyed Jack's clenched fist. For different reasons of course. We went up to the next floor, which bustled with noise.

"What the hell is this?" I asked loudly, trying to speak over the din. Men and women ran this way and that, while dorkier looking ones sat under mountains of paper, fiddling with laptops, Gameboys, and Nintendo DSs. Taylor laughed and slowly let go of my hand.

"This is the development room!" he shouted back. "Come on, I'll take you to the heads," he said loudly, setting off towards the backroom, nodding at various people and smiling flirtatiously and unabashedly at a few girls. I couldn't help but smile and roll my eyes.

"See?" Jack said pointedly. I shrugged.

"I'll enjoy the attention while I have it," I replied bluntly. He opened his mouth but shut it. I wondered what might have come out. He shook his head and smiled at me.

"I love your honesty," he teased, wrapping an arm around my shoulders in a quick side hug. I smiled at him as we hurried after Taylor, who led us to another room encased in glass, which I assumed was also one-way. Taylor knocked gently on the door.

"Come in!" called a voice. He slowly opened the door to reveal four large desks. Sitting behind one of them was a fat man with brown hair and a cheerful but casual look, a short and stocky blond one behind another, and a tall, lanky man with dark hair to his jaw and glasses working at the third. The last one was sitting on his desk, facing the door. He was surprisingly handsome with light brown hair, an easy smile and a muscular stature. He smiled.

"Taylor! Good to see you!" he said cheerfully. The other three turned to us. "Who'd you bring?" he asked curiously. Taylor smiled.

"My cousin, Jack Marcum, and Arabel Nightingale, a friend of mine," he told the man easily. I had to glance at Jack, who was watching me unabashedly. I couldn't read his look. I glanced back at the other man and smiled.

"Nice to meet you," I said meekly. He smiled and hopped off his desk, coming towards me and shaking my hand.

"Junichi Masuda, game designer," he introduced himself. He shook Jack's hand as well.

"Jack Marcum. A pleasure," came his deep voice, polite and gentle. Junichi smiled and gestured around the room, first to the portly man.

"Satoshi Nahara, our script writer," he announced, sounding proud. They did have a hell of a lot to be proud of. I smiled and shook his head.

"Nice to meet you, sir," I said with a little bow. He smiled and winked.

"No need for a bow from a pretty girl like you," he teased. It was obvious he was joking, so I just laughed and let Jack introduce himself. Junichi continued onto the blond man.

"Tetsuya Watanabe," he said. "Our lead programmer," he explained. I smiled and bowed to him as well.

"Good morning," I said cheerfully. He smiled.

"Good morning to you!" he said in the same tone. Jack slid past me and shook his hand.

"Jack Marcum. Nice to meet you," he said easily. Junichi turned to the last man.

"And our head artist, Ken Sugimori," he finished. We turned to the last man and froze a little. He was staring intently at Jack and I and drawing hurriedly on a pad. We glanced at each other. Junichi frowned.

"Ken?" he asked, confused.

"Hold on!" he barked, his glasses flashing. Junichi shrugged apologetically. I glanced at Taylor, who was smiling. I raised an eyebrow.

"He's been doing this for the last five minutes, ever since we walked in the door," he explained softly. _Ouch._ Feeling self-conscious, I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Don't move!" screeched the artist. Trembling in fear, I lowered my arms. "Good," he murmured softly. There was silence for another minute until he finally turned back to his computer, ignoring us. I opened my mouth to breathe a sigh of relief, but he whipped around again, scaring me into stumbling backwards. Jack caught me, his arm under my back, almost around my waist. Shivering slightly, I smiled unsteadily at him and sprung back up, too weak in his hold to stay there for long. I glanced at Sugimori, who was now drawing Taylor, who looked confused but calmer than I had. I glanced at Junichi who just smiled in exasperation and shook his head. After another five minutes, Ken was done.

"Thank you, all three of you." He said calmly, scanning his pictures into his computer and setting to work. We waited for an explanation as he loaded a graphics program. He turned to Jack and I and smiled. "You two have just become the male and female protagonists for the Sinnoh game," he told us. My jaw dropped. Jack had to smile as Tetsuya, Junichi and Satoshi laughed. Taylor raised an eyebrow.

"Ken?" he queried. The artist in question laughed.

"Sorry Taylor," he teased apologetically. "You're the rival." My mouth closed and I stared at the wall in angry exasperation. How fitting. Taylor only smiled.

"Good enough," he said easily. I sighed. I was totally going to be in a video game. Somehow, I felt like a huge nerd. I glanced at Junichi, checking that Ken was fully immersed in his work.

"Happen often?" I asked casually. The designer smiled and laughed.

"Occasionally." He pointed to each of the men in the room. "They've all been pixilated and have their own representation in the game." He smirked. "The ones that look like Ken are the nerds, the ones that look like Satoshi are just the fat guys that hang around places-" the man in question, already attacking his keyboard, wasted only a second to wave in acknowledgement. "-And Tetsuya's are bird tamers." He continued. He gestured to the blond man's desk, which had a few bird Pokémon figurines. He too, was already fiddling with a Nintendo DS. Junichi checked a clock and smiled at us. "Come on, let me take you to meet Tito." He said. Taylor gaped.

"What?" he exclaimed, indignant. Jack and I, synchronized completely, glanced from Taylor to Junichi to each other, then shrugging. "You never let me meet Tito!" Taylor pouted and I had to smirk. So did Jack. Junichi grinned.

"He wouldn't like you," Junichi said honestly. "You're too rich," he continued. Taylor sneered at Junichi.

"What's that got to do with anything?" he asked, hands on hips. A casual hand covered the smile on my lips, though I couldn't help but notice Jack's twitching mouth. Junichi smiled. He seemed like an easy-going kind of guy. He turned to us.

"Tito is a hobo who lives on the roof." I stared at him.

"You have a hobo?" I asked bluntly. Junichi smiled again.

"We don't _have _a hobo. He's a homeless man who built a shack on the roof of Celadon Mansion before Game Freak bought it," he explained casually. "When we did, we discovered he was a black belt and we couldn't get him out. So we just decided to let him stay. Mr. Tajiri is a very kind man," he explained. I blinked.

"Tajiri?" I queried, curious.

"The president," Taylor supplied. "But why wouldn't he like me because I'm rich?" he asked persistently. Junichi sighed.

"Rich people stole everything from him and made him homeless. He's a bit prejudiced," the man explained all too patiently. Taylor sighed.

"Fine. But I'm still meeting him," he declared. Junichi smiled.

"Your cousin here and Ari will put him in a fine mood," he said easily, heading towards the door and opening it up to the disastrous sounds of the programmers outside. Junichi smiled again and shook his head, gesturing me out of the room. I raised an eyebrow and walked outside, followed by Junichi, letting Jack and Taylor work the door by themselves. The game designer led us at a trot to another stairway, which led us to the roof. I gasped and ran to the edge, seeing the entirety of Celadon.

"It's beautiful!" I exclaimed happily. Junichi grinned as he found a spot near me, looking out at the skyline as well.

"It is. We come up here to think when it gets too loud," he told me quietly as Jack smugly took my open side, leaving Taylor next to Junichi. I ignored them, enjoying the view too much. Suddenly I heard a pop and jumped as a white flash announced the arrival of Spark. I stumbled backwards as the little yellow mouse attached himself, once again, to my face. I sighed.

"Dear Pokémon, move please," I said. He chirped and scrambled behind my neck and onto my hat again, trotting precariously along the brim with a hold on my head to peak out over the wall of the building. I smiled at the men, who were laughing.

"This will probably become typical for us," I said easily, reclaiming my spot and looking out again. There was a short silence and finally I turned back around to the roof. There was, indeed, a little lean-to shack of discarded wooden beams. In front of it was a tall orange fence. Junichi saw my glance and pulled away from the wall.

"Come on," he said. "Let's meet Tito," he said. He led us to the orange fence and paused. "A warning, he talks in broken English and he talks a lot about Pokémon," he began. We listened closely. "He may ask to see yours," he continued. "Show them to him and he might give you something. He's odd like that," Junichi added. Jack and I glanced at each other and shrugged. Whatever. Junichi smiled and turned to the gate again, unlocking it and pushing it back. "Tito!" he called. "It's me!" There was a short pause. "I've got people, but they're good!" he added. Another pause until a head with short, scraggly black hair, a plump round face and suspicious eyes poked out of the door.

"Who goes here?" he asked suspiciously.

"It's me, Junichi. I'm with Arabel Nightingale, a coordinator, Jack Marcum, a trainer, and Taylor Carter." He said slowly. Tito studied Taylor carefully.

"Vice president's boy?" he asked perceptively. I was impressed. Taylor didn't move. Junichi nodded. He disappeared for a few seconds and then reappeared, once again, only his head showed. It was actually a bit unnerving. He turned his sloe black eyes onto me and I stared defiantly back. Finally he smiled. "Your pichu. May I see?" he queried, tone gentling. I glanced up at Spark, who conveniently hung himself upside down from my hat.

"Go ahead, Spark," I murmured. He chirped and dropped, landing and bouncing on his springy tail, scurrying over to the shack and climbing on the wall until he was eyelevel with the man, who spread his mouth in a big, gap-toothed grin. I couldn't help but give a small smile. His hand appeared, dark and calloused, holding a tiny treat. He offered it to Spark, who nibbled it cautiously than squeaked with delight, his tiny body fizzing with electricity. The man smiled slowly. His head whipped around, startling me slightly.

"You have others," he told me perceptively. I nodded as Junichi looked on with a smile, Taylor and Jack listening intently. "You have…" he paused, thoughtfully, scanning me up and down. "Maybe espeon?" he asked. I smiled.

"Vaporeon," I corrected, pulling out the little ball from my vest pocket and letting Aquatrix appear. Tito shook his head vehemently.

"No, no, you have espeon," he informed me. My eyes flicked to Junichi, who shrugged. I did as well, calling back Aquatrix, who looked a tad confused.

"I have an eevee," I suggested. He nodded quickly. I found my third Pokéball, calling out the fuzzy Pokémon. He inspected it approvingly.

"One moment," he said quickly, leaving a puzzled Saffron on the paved roof. She glanced at me a mewled. I shrugged and she turned back to the shack, her head cocked to the side in curiosity. Spark, meanwhile, was still dashing around the wall, looking very spider-esque as he clambered upside down and sideways. I was intrigued. Tito appeared again, this time, fully opening the door. He was wearing a bright white karate outfit with the aforementioned black belt. A minimized Pokéball was in his hand. All four of us raised our eyebrows. He stepped forward slowly and held out his hand.

"You want to catch many eevees, yes?" he guessed. Amazed, I nodded. He smiled his sweet smile and pressed the Pokéball into my hand. I glanced at it, then back at the cheerful hobo, my eyes wide, my jaw dropped. "Eevee. For you." He explained. He bowed to Junichi and Jack and simply glared suspiciously at Taylor. "Tito goes now," he said, disappearing into his shack. I stared at the Pokéball in my hand and tossed it to the ground. An eevee appeared, spooking Saffron, but the two quickly began to nose each other curiously as Spark rushed over. I looked up to Jack, shock etched into my features.

"What?"

**Author's Notes:**

**Hiya. Muchas gracias to Madwoman, my new beta. Don't bother searching for her, she's just a friend of mine. A pretty awesome one. Hmm, so a little info about this chapter. Mr. Tajiri, who's referenced as the president, is, in fact, the president of Game Freak. He worked on Leaf Green as a scenario designer. I'm not sure what else he's done. Junichi Masuda was not only the head game designer, but also the director, and music composer. Ken Sugimori was, indeed, the art director, as well as a Pokémon designer. Tetsuya Watanabe was not only the program leader, but also a system programmer. Satoshi Nahara's only job was script designer. Also, Game Freak HQ is set up exactly as Celadon Mansion in Celadon City, Leaf Green/Fire Red. The floors are set up the same and there are a nidoran, meowth and… That other one running around on the floors. The Diamond/Pearl female character sprite has long black hair, that she wears down, a white collared shirt, blue vest and pink skirt, as well as long pink socks and sneakers, which is what Ari wears in the chapter, as well as the orange scarf. Jack is wearing jeans and a blue and white shirt; the only things added to the D/P trainer sprite is a hat, scarf and bag. The rival sprite, at least I think he's the rival, wears grey slacks, sneakers, a khaki messenger bag, a green scarf, and a white and orange striped t-shirt. He has blond hair. I made Ken, Junichi, Satoshi and Tetsuya look like they do in the game as well: they're the three characters you can talk to on the third floor. Lastly, on the roof, accessible only through the back entrance behind the Celadon Pokémon Center, is a small hut on the roof. Inside is a black-belt sprite person who speaks in broken English and tells you about training. An orange fence blocks the hut from the outside. Finally, inside the hut, a Pokéball sits on a desk. You can keep it. Inside is an eevee.**


	10. An Interlude

**It's a midget chapter. Get over it. I'm a seriously sucky writer and I think I may skip ahead a few weeks. I'm considering a trip to Viridian City, to visit Jack's brother Gideon, the Pokémon carrier trainer, then on to Pewter city, where Ari will meet Jack's family. From there they'll probably go to Pallet, then Fuschia, and lastly to Cinnabar. The story ends at Cinnabar, and I've already written the beginning of the sequel. Joy of joys **

**Love,**

**The Sherberty Lemon**

"Taylor Carter, with my guest, Ari Nightingale," Taylor said formally to the secretary at the contest hall. I was looking around in awe. This was my future. This was what I'd set out only a week ago to do. It seemed so long ago…

After Tito had disappeared into his hut, we'd stared in wonder at the new addition to my team, who'd already become good friends with Saffron. Junichi had checked for me and informed me that she was a girl, making her the third female in my party. Thinking hard about Tito, I'd decided she would become my espeon and proceeded to name her Stella. I didn't yet know what I would evolve Saffron into yet, but I'd become attached to her fluffy form and had an inkling she would stay an eevee.

Returning the present, my eyes scanned the locker rooms as I entered with Taylor, Saffron and Spark tucked away in their Pokéballs (I was taking no chances with the other coordinator's Pokémon. What if Spark had a hidden and deeply vengeful grudge against all slowpokes?) He smiled at my awe.

"You'll do excellent, once you start," he murmured. I smiled up at him.

"I hope so," I replied. We found a secluded corner in the room filled with other trainers, talking with their Pokémon and guests. I glanced at the bag he was carrying with him (we'd stopped back at their mansion for Taylor to pick some things up and for a hearty lunch) as he opened it. First came a neatly folded white collared shirt. I held it for him, receiving a smile, as he then pulled out a black satin suit jacket with tails and dress slacks. With the surprisingly lightweight clothes securely in my hands, he plucked his Pokéball from his belt. He exchanged the clothes for the Pokéball.

"Let her out while I change?" he requested. I smiled and nodded. He returned it and disappeared. I stared at the Pokéball, shook my head and popped it open, marveling at the glorious Pokémon again. She trilled curiously, looking around.

"He's changing." I explained. I held out my arm for her and she landed, heavier than I'd expected but not huge. She began to preen and I watched her with a smile. "Beautiful," I murmured, dazzled.

"I've been training her for three years," Taylor admitted from behind me a few minutes later. I whipped around, still cautious of the beautifly on my arm. I smiled weakly at him in his tuxedoed glory. I'd discovered last year, in seventh grade, the bat mitzvah season, that I based a lot of my ratings on looks for guys on how they looked in a suit. Sure I hadn't been totally into guys, but it's almost obligatory for a 12-year-old girl and her four best friends to start appreciating guys. And damn, was Taylor gorgeous in a suit. I made sure I wasn't gaping and handed the beautifly to Taylor.

"You two look great together," I croaked. They did. His Pokémon's beautiful colors on his stark black and white. He smiled.

"Thank you," he replied, bouncing his arm a little bit. Obligingly, she beat her wings and suddenly I was surrounded by a beautiful odor. I inhaled deeply, eyes closed, a smile on my face. It was amazing. It smelled like seawater, my mom's cooking, honeysuckle and an array of citrus fruits. Those had always been my favorite smells and I was in heaven. There was also something there that I couldn't quite identify. The outdoors, Pokémon, something. Taylor was covering his nose.

"What was that?" I whispered, suddenly at ease. I saw a smile under his arm as I fell slightly against the lockers.

"That's her memory odor. It brings out your favorite scents. Everyone smells something different," he explained, scratching the Pokémon on her head affectionately. She trilled and settled her wings. The scent lingered. "It happens when she flaps her wings and effects people who've never smelled it before more strongly than those who have smelled memory odor before." He continued. "I'm used to it, but she always has to do it once or twice if she's been in her Pokéball for a while," he finished. I nodded, still a little woozy with the smell. I opened my eyes and smiled at him.

"That's amazing," I murmured. He smiled back as an official looking person came into the room.

"Coordinators, get ready! The list is on the wall for the orders. Guests, it's time to leave. Good luck coordinators!" said the woman. I smiled at Taylor, leaned up and kissed his cheek- hey, I wanted him to win. I did the same for Jack at the Battler's Ball. Oh crap. That's probably bad, isn't it. Taylor smiled at me and I left the room as fast as I could. I could only hope I wasn't getting myself too deep into this. Releasing Saffron for comfort, I gathered her into my arms and hurried into the lobby of the contest hall, then into the crowded arena. I scanned for Jack, not seeing him, but Saffron yipped and jumped from my arms, darting through the crowds. I cried out and followed her, certainly having not expected this. I groaned as I apologized to every person I tripped over.

"Stupid Pokémon instincts," I muttered vengefully, apologizing to an old lady with a cane and continuing on. At that point, I had lost sight of Saffron, the little brown fuzzball blending in with the pavement floor, brown benches and excited people. "Crap," I muttered, continuing my fast trek. Finally, I saw her, sitting serenely on the ground. I narrowed my eyes and quickened my pace, heading towards her. Suddenly, a foot caught on my ankles and I stumbled forward with a cry. "Shit!"

I landed on the person next to the person who'd tripped me, my chest crashing against his, quite painfully, may I add, my arms thrown over his shoulders, and my face in his neck as I knocked him onto the floor, off of his seat on the bench. As I regained my breath and inhaled, I noticed the man's smell and jerked back, blushing horribly.

"Hi Jack." I muttered. I realized the smell I had smelled with beautifly's memory odor was Jack. God I'm head over heels in love, aren't I? Help me. Jack smiled, apparently unhurt.

"Hi Ari," he teased. I pushed off him as fast as I could, noting his firm muscles by accident, I repeat, by accident. Standing up straight, I leaned down and helped him up.

"Sorry," I muttered, still blushing. He was still smiling as he scooped Saffron from the ground and slung her gently around his neck as she mewled happily. I was amazed at how, once again, I was touched by his kindness to my Pokémon. As much gentleness from anyone was surprising. He sat down and patted the seat next to him. I gingerly sat, smoothing my skirt as the people around us talked excitedly.

"So you ever been to a contest before?" he asked me curiously, smiling as Spark appeared from my ball to scramble into my arms, not used to spending as much time in his ball as he had recently. I shook my head, smiling slightly.

"My mom thought coordinators were pansies," I admitted. Jack chuckled. "Hey, she was a gym leader!" I protested. Jack held up his hands.

"That's cool, that's cool, to each his own," he defended himself hastily. I stuck my tongue out at him and before I knew it, it was pinched in between his fingers. My eyes widened and I looked up at his amused smirk, one of his eyebrows raised. "Four sisters," he reminded me. I scrunched up my face at him and he let go with a laugh, allowing me to retract my tongue- without dignity, however.

I can only say that I got nothing out of that contest. Jack and I were just a couple of teenagers, laughing, joking and getting pointed looks from the people around us. I barely noticed when Taylor made it to the battle round and won, then came ultimately in second. I was too engrossed in my silent tickle battle with Jack. As we stood up to cheer the winner on, I turned to Jack.

"Pretend we watched the whole thing," I said firmly. He grinned.

"Of course, love," he teased. I sneered at him and he only laughed as we kept clapping.

------

"So we're heading back to Saffron in the morning?" I asked Jack as we sat in my room, lying on my carpeted floor, our heads only inches away, and staring at the tile mural on the ceiling, which depicted an angel surrounded by water Pokémon. Even though we had spent the last day and night with the Carters, Jack and I had been spending a lot of time together, bonding and whatnot.

"Yeah," he replied lazily. "We need to up on supplies, then go to Saffron. Bike or train?" he asked me. I pursed my lips.

"If the weather's nice, let's bike," I answered, stroking Spark softly, who was curled up on my collarbone. "I feel like we haven't done it in a while." I heard him nod, his head brushing against the soft carpet.

"Sounds good," he murmured easily. "I thought we'd hang for a day, relax, maybe get some training in and then I could fight Sabrina on Monday?" he suggested.

"Beautiful," I said tiredly. I cracked a loud yawn and Jack smiled, rolling onto his stomach and pushing himself to his knees before standing up. He moved around me and planted his feet on either side of my knees, leaning down and grabbing my hands gently. He lifted me to my feet and I smiled at him.

"Bed time," he teased affectionately. I sneered at him and pushed away, pointing towards the door.

"Out. I've got to change," I replied. He smiled and disappeared, shutting the door quietly. I glanced at the adjoined door once before stripping off my vest and shirt and finding a loose t-shirt to sleep in, pulling on flannel pants before taking off my skirt, tossing it into the laundry shoot. Taylor had promised me that Trixie wouldn't touch my clothes, and they'd be cleaned by the time we left the next morning. I glanced at the bathroom tiredly, opted for a swig of mouthwash and a splash of water instead of brushing my teeth and washing my face, and snuggled into my bed again.

"Are you done?" Jack called.

"What timing," I murmured with a smile. "Yes!" I replied, louder. He entered again, leaning against my wall. He smiled sweetly.

"Good night. I'll see you tomorrow morning," he said softly.

"'Night," I replied, yawning again. He flicked off the lights, but it was a long moment before the door shut.

**Yeah, I was just tired. I'm sorry it sucked, I'm sorry it was so fluffy and lacked any reference to Pokémon at all. Bleh. Worst chapter ever.**

**TSL**


	11. Saffron, Celadon and Stella

**Hi. Sorry for the wait. I hate battle chapters, but there's a good one in here. Good as in long, not as in good. I didn't reread or get this one beta'd so fuck it if something's off. Um, disrespected author's note and I won't be skipping ahead. This starts the next morning from chapter 10. And it's just about my usual, 3500 words.**

As Jack and I pedaled away from the Carter Mansion, my mind buzzed. It really didn't seem like there was much to think about, but somehow it was all too apparent. I smiled as a pidgeotto overhead called cheerfully to its mate and somehow, as if seeing the gentle joy and affection between to souls made it all better, my heart lifted and I flew down the sleek asphalt, Saffron mewing happily from my basket, Spark clapping his little paws in excitement from the breast pocket of my black and pink striped shirt (both mine and Jack's clothes had been washed the previous night), my black skirt flaring around my knees. Jack in his black and gold t-shirt and usual khakis, smiled at me and pushed his weight forward to catch up. The weather was beautiful, the sun shining on his dirty blond hair. Still wanting a change from my braid, my straight hair streamed behind me.

We sped out of the city in silence, simply enjoying getting back into the wilderness. I cooed as I saw two nidorans frolicking in a field outside of the city, almost couple-like, supervised by a Nidoqueen hiding in the brush. I could only see her when Jack pointed her out to me. It was amazing to see one in the wild.

Slowing as the road became bumpier, we passed a house where two tall teenaged girls sat on the grass in bikinis, simply enjoying the warmth of the day. One was sketching on a pad of paper and the other one was making a bracelet from string. The girl with the string was surrounded by a wigglytuff and a raichu, two very girly Pokémon, in my opinion. Her friend, on the other hand, was leaned against a huge onix, a scyther at her side. Though the girls looked like the preppy type, it was obvious that all four Pokémon were well raised and quite accomplished. The girls ignored us- we were only travelers- but the Pokémon looked up with interest, noting Saffron in the basket, Lunus at Jack's feet and Spark in my pocket. Actually, Spark noticed the raichu and squealed loudly. The other Pokémon's ears twitched. She quickly left her owner to scramble over to us. I yelped as Spark tumbled out of my pocket and onto the ground to inspect the newcomer. Jack turned to look and stopped as I jammed my brakes, the two girls looking up.

"Rye, baby, come here," the girl instructed calmly as I blushed. I got off my bike and knelt down, prying my Pokémon from his interested inspection of what he might one day become.

"I'm sorry," I called, always uneasy with people I didn't know. When both Pokémon refused to be moved, both girls got up, the first with the raichu looking Jack over with interest. She turned to her friend with raised brows. The second girl smiled and nodded and raichu girl turned to Jack.

"Double battle?" she queried sweetly. I liked her bluntness. Jack turned to me and I smirked at him, feeling strangely confident. I'd be able to try out Stella and give Aquatrix a real battle. Jack looked surprised but I shrugged. He smiled at the girl.

"Of course." He replied as we both threw our bikes to the ground on the front lawn. The artist pulled on a pair of denim shorts, her friend a white tennis skirt.

"Come around back," the first girl said, beckoning to us. "We've got a big field," she explained. We nodded and followed them. It must have been nice living here, only five minutes from the city without the hustle and bustle of the grey stone grid.

"You sure?" Jack muttered as we went between a hedge and the house. I shrugged.

"We lose, we lose." I said easily. He looked worried and I patted my bag. "I've got money. I haven't had a battle yet so I'm fully stocked," I reminded him. He shook his head.

"None of your Pokémon but Aquatrix has battled," he reminded me. I smirked.

"There's only one way to change that," I told him as we found a giant field and the girls settled themselves at the end of their field, their Pokémon steady behind them. Jack looked at me.

"You'll go for the onix?" he asked me. I nodded, almost positive she'd send that one out.

"And you'll use Lunus if she sends the raichu?" I asked him. He nodded as well. I was pretty confidant in my measure of types and their strengths and weakness, always one to strategize, even in mock battles with Sam. He squeezed my shoulder.

"Whoop ass, girl," he teased. I smirked.

"Don't let them flirt with you," I retorted. He flushed, never comfortable with the attention he received from girls. I giggled and settled myself, making sure Spark was comfortable on Saffron's head while she sat at my feet. I looked down at her. "You're not going in, babe," I told her, "but cheer for your friends," I said. She mewed happily, ever the lap Pokémon. I grinned and we turned to the girls.

"I'm Talia, and this is Lila!" the girl with the onix called.

"Jack!" he shouted down the field. "And Ari!" he added, gesturing to me.

"Two Pokémon each!" Lila returned. "First team with three KOs wins, yeah?" she suggested. Jack and I glanced at each other and nodded.

"Let's go!" I replied loudly. They smiled.

"Wigglytuff! Battle hard!" Shouted Lila.

"Onix! You too!" Talia said simultaneously.

"Lunus!" Jack directed, the umbreon scrambling onto the battlefield from Jack's side.

"Aquatrix, kick butt!" I called, settling into the battle like it was a skin. Here was my mother, showing up, as my water Pokémon sprang onto the field. They looked impressed. All four of us looked at each other until Jack, with a smile, set us off.

"Begin!" he ordered. "Lunus, faint attack!" he ordered. Lunus already knew his target.

"Aquatrix, water gun!" I commanded. She yelped and sprayed water towards the towering rock Pokémon.

"Onix, dig!" shouted its trainer. The Pokémon disappeared into the ground. I grimaced as Aquatrix stopped, waiting patiently.

"Wigglytuff, double slap!" Lila ordered. I glanced up. Lunus was already heading towards wigglytuff, slamming into the big pink Pokémon, who braced itself and proceeded to bitch slap Lunus. I rolled my eyes.

"Aquatrix! To the side, then water gun!" I yelled. "Be careful for the vibrations!" I reminded her. She chirped and did as told, forcing the squealing wigglytuff away from Lunus.

"Thanks," Jack muttered, clearly upset he'd needed my help. I rolled my eyes and sighed- men and their pride. Suddenly, Aquatrix was flying. I grimaced as she passed high into the air.

"Didn't know she could do that," I cursed, hearing Talia congratulate her onix. "Must've missed the vibrations." I muttered. "Aquatrix! Water gun on the ground to slow your fall!" I shouted. She did as such, floating gently to the ground and steadying herself. I smirked. "Bubble beam!" I continued, watching her shoot bubbles at the surprised onix.

"Lunus, shadow ball!" Jack ordered. I understood that he was going for non-contact attacks: the wigglytuff was too big for Lunus to handle. The spinning black ball hit its mark, throwing the fat Pokémon off. "Another one!" he ordered. I turned my attention back to my Pokémon.

"Atta girl, Aquatrix!" I shouted gleefully, noting the flailing onix and the pursed lips of Talia. "All right, iron tail!" I ordered. The blue Pokémon yelped and leapt into the air, her tail emitting a hard white light. I vaguely heard yells from Lila and Jack's side of the battle.

"Onix! Wrap!" I heard Talia yell. I bit my lip as Aquatrix, already flying towards the grey stone Pokémon, was caught in its vice-like grip. I heard her squeal and bit my lip harder.

"Water gun if you can manage!" I shouted. No good. "Jack!" I said urgently.

"Gotcha." He replied. "Lunus, confuse ray on onix!" Lunus leapt to his bidding and I glanced in surprise at the other half of the battle, realizing Lunus had KO'd the wigglytuff and that Lila was sending out raichu. Unfortunately, the timing caused the confused onix swing Aquatrix free, slamming its tail into the surprised raichu. Both girls grimaced as the onix danced slowly in place, unable to focus.

"Finish with a water gun!" I yelled desperately. Aquatrix did as told and the onix was recalled, to be replaced with a scyther. Before I knew what was happing, Aquatrix was surrounded by bright yellow light. "Shit," I muttered, seeing the work of raichu. Lunus finished the attack with a tackle, but Aquatrix could barely stand. "Finish with a bang!" I called. "Aurora beam!" I yelled. The scyther was slammed with a beautiful beam and fell back as Aquatrix fell in a faint. "Good girl!" I yelled miserably, recalling her and sending out Stella. "You can do it babe!" I yelled. "Quick attack!" I commanded, remembering the list of attacks Junichi had told me about when we'd returned to his office after Tito had given me Stella. She yelped and did as told and I knew she was going to be a strong battler. She slammed into the scyther with surprising speed and even Jack blinked in surprise as the scyther wobbled backwards before steadying itself.

"False swipe!" Talia ordered.

"Shit," I heard Jack muttered.

"Sand attack!" I yelled, making sure Stella was kicking dust into her opponents face before seeing Jack recall a fainted Lunus.

"Switch," he muttered to me. "Storm!" he called. I knew what he was doing. Storm's fire type attacks would go better against the bug type scyther than the raichu. "Flamethrower!" he yelled quickly. Storm barked and did as told, making sure Stella had leapt out of the way. Unfortunately, the scyther had gotten through the dust cloud in order to take a slash at her first. She yelped and skidded to a halt in front of the raichu, which promptly shocked her on Lila's orders. I grimaced.

"Come on, quick attack! You can do it!" I ordered. She flicked off the static that had puffed out her coat and slammed into the raichu. Such a close vantage point and the ferocity of the attack threw the Pokémon to the ground. "Tackle! Make it hard!" I followed up quickly. The intelligent Pokémon leapt into the air and body slammed her opponent, apparently fueled by anger.

"Raichu, keep hold of it and thunder-" Lila began to order, but Stella had already made her attack and dashed off. I was amazed by my own Pokémon. Of her own accord, she made one more quick attack, finishing off the yellow Pokémon as it struggled to get up. I was gaping. So was Jack, seeing as his fire type had just finished off scyther. Even the girls were surprised.

"Damn," I muttered. My little fighting beast turned, sat in the dust, smiled her pert smile and beat her tail gently, looking like a little fluffy pet instead of the amazing Pokémon I'd just seen battle. "You know," I said to Jack, "I think my other would kill me if I put her in a contest," I said thoughtfully. He laughed and I bent to my knees, holding out my arms. Stella mewled and dashed into my arms, again the cuddly fuzz ball. "You were amazing!" I squealed, standing and spinning as she licked my face. The girls and Jack had recalled their Pokémon, and the four of us met in the middle of the field, my two Pokémon at my feet, Stella in my arms. Lila immediately smiled and dragged Jack into conversation. Talia rolled her eyes at me and I grinned.

"Quite an amazing little Pokémon you've got there," she commented, scratching Stella's ears. "Certainly didn't expect to be beaten by a fourteen year old," she remarked. I smiled shyly.

"Thanks," I replied, wondering how she'd guessed my age so closely. "Honestly, I didn't expect to win," I replied. She smiled.

"How long have you been with this one?" she asked, meaning Stella. I smiled wryly.

"Two days. A strange homeless man gave her to me," I explained. She raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Do tell," she said easily. I quickly told her the story and she nodded amused. "All five eevees then?" she asked. I nodded. I gestured to Saffron.

"That's why she doesn't do anything," I said with a wry smile. "She's going to stay an eevee," I explained, tapping the base of her tail with my foot. She mewled happily. We glanced at the other pair, Lila laughing at the story Jack was telling, whatever it was. I shoved my sudden jealousy under amusement. Talia and I glanced at each other and grinned. She grabbed Lila's arm.

"Boyfriend," she remarked casually, as if saying hello. Lila flushed and Jack blinked. I giggled and Jack glared at me.

"Back to the Pokémon center?" he suggested, covering his glare. I managed to stop my laughter and nodded. I shook hands with both girls and rolled my eyes as Jack gave each a kiss on the cheek. He was so weird.

"See you later!" I called as we left around the back and found our bikes, still on the lawn. I shook my head as we returned to Celadon, healed our Pokémon, and left the city again, stopping only to grab some chocolate milkshakes, which we could drink as we went and would keep us full until our late lunch in Saffron.

------

Arriving in Saffron two hours later, I smiled as we passed the Saffron Crocus, the hotel where the Battler's Ball had been held not even three days ago. It seemed like ages. Jack rolled his eyes.

"Girls," I heard him mutter. I smirked and took Spark from my breast pocket, launching him at Jack. When the tiny Pokémon hit his cheek and settled on top of his head, he glared at me. I smiled airily and kept pedaling. Suddenly, I slowed, looking at Jack.

"Where are we going?" I asked him. He smiled and nodding up the street we were turning onto.

"There," he replied, meaning a small pub. I rolled my eyes. Why were boys _always _thinking about food? I opened my mouth. He suddenly threw Spark back at me, who chirped and clapped on the way over.

"Out," I said in a muffled voice- he'd landed in my mouth. He mewed happily and found his way into my pocket. "I hate you," I told Jack. "And he's enjoying this. Which means this will probably keep happening," I informed him tartly. He smiled in the same lofty way I had when I'd thrown the mouse Pokémon at him.

"Any chance to piss you off," he replied easily. I sneered at him as we pulled up to a streetlamp and locked our bikes to it. I cuffed him on the back of his head and led the way into the restaurant, noticing his failed attempt at a subtle eye roll and headshake. I smirked.

"Two please," I said to the maitre' d, who smiled and nodded as I recalled Saffron, who was trotting at my feet. Spark would be fine. She led us to a table and promised us a waitress. We sat down in the booth and I looked at Jack. "So where are we going?" I asked him again. He sat back in his seat.

"We're going to be camping out east, towards Lavender town." He replied. I blinked as Spark scampered into my hands, which were clasped on the table. I smiled and rubbed his cheeks gently, which I'd found he loved.

"I thought you were coming from Lavender when you met me," I replied, unsure. He nodded.

"I was," he replied. "There's a good route full of trainer's and wild Pokémon near Lavender. I was going there to train." He paused and I waited patiently. Suddenly, a waiter appeared.

"I'm Jeff, I'll be your waiter today. Can I get you anything to drink?" he queried.

"Mountain Dew," I replied customarily. Back home, I drank a can at least every two days- the sugar and caffeine didn't really effect me. Now I hadn't had any since the last time Jack and I ate at a restaurant, which was when we left from Cerulean City.

"Sprite," Jack said. The man nodded and disappeared. I looked up at Jack.

"Continue," I prompted. He nodded.

"I'm from Pewter. That's where I started two years ago," he began. I nodded, remembering my mother's interrogation where Jack had revealed he'd left two years ago. It was a startling thought to realize Jack had been doing this for two years. I'd been out for barely two weeks and it felt like ages since I'd been home. I sighed inwardly. I knew that barrage of homesickness would hit soon. I looked up to keep listening.

"First I went south, down to Viridian, and then to Pallet Town. I stayed with my dad in Pallet Town for about a year, occasionally learning with Professor Oak, or going up to Viridian City." He told me. I nodded. "Then I went back to Pewter when he died and stayed with my family for a month, at the end of which I battled and beat Flint of Pewter City," he explained. "I left and made my way from Cerulean to Saffron to Lavender. Trained there for a few months and then we met. So not quite two years," he said, reconsidering his earlier words. I nodded. "20 months?" he guessed, looking at me. I shrugged.

"So what's this got to do with anything?" I asked him. He grinned.

"Sorry," he replied. "So I was training in Lavender Town. Then I was heading towards Saffron, to go up towards Cerulean, but because I chose to go to Cerulean instead of Vermillion, I missed the sea route. It's a great place to train and there's a town I want to hit that's between Lavender and Fuchsia City," he finished. By this point, I was utterly lost.

"Gimme a minute please," I muttered, reaching into my bag. Jack grinned apologetically.

"Sorry," he muttered. I smiled and nodded, pulling out my Pokédex and finding the map option. After two minutes, within which my drink was delivered, I figured out what he meant. I looked up at him, brows furrowed.

"Why not just go south?" I asked him curiously. "Why go all the way around route 12 when we could just go down?" I continued. He shrugged.

"Partly because I like Lavender Town, partly because I'm going to catch a grass type in Diglett's Cave on the way to Vermillion, and partly so we take long enough that we can be in Vermillion over your birthday. You did say it was in a few weeks, right?" he queried suddenly. I blushed brilliant and I could tell he was hiding a smile.

"Jack, you don't-" I muttered, not finding the right words. He smiled.

"It works out." He told me as the waiter appeared again. Burying my still-hot face in my menu, I searched it quickly as Jack ordered his usual burger and fries. I chose a large bowl of chicken noodle soup, which came with a roll and two cookies. Unable to hide behind anything anymore when the waiter took my menu, I had to blush right at Jack's smiling face.

"Honestly, you don't want to be at a party with my parents," I protested. Hell, most of the time _I _didn't want to be at a party with my parents. Jack shook his head.

"I'll disappear for the night if you really want to, but you should spend your birthday with your family," he told me firmly. I pouted, inside my emotions in turmoil. I wanted to tell him that I'd definitely rather spend my birthday, or any day, with him over my crazy family. I sighed.

"You're coming," I muttered darkly. "If I suffer, you suffer," I explained. He laughed and I couldn't help but smile, stroking Spark with my thumb. I looked up at him, taking a sip of my drink. "So what town did you say you wanted to visit?" I asked lazily. He smiled.

"That, my dear Arabel, is a surprise," he told me mysteriously. I glared at him.

"Did you know I hate mysteries?" I told him pointedly. He smirked.

"I could have guessed." He replied cockily. I threw Spark at him, smiling in self-satisfaction as electricity crackled on his face and his eyebrows stood comically on end.

"Ow!" he said loudly, yanking the happy Pokémon off of his face. "He shocked me!" he said, surprised. I raised an eyebrow.

"However dumb, he is an electric type," I reminded him. Jack rolled his eyes and bounced Spark in his palm, waiting for the electricity to fizzle out. "So what is this town?" I asked again, looking up at him over my drink. I was quick enough to catch Spark as he was thrown at me, and quickly slipped the giggling Pokémon into my pocket. Jack glared.

"Surprise." He smiled. "It's part of your birthday present." He added. I raised my eyebrows.

"So this is going to be an interesting birthday?" I queried. He smiled brightly.

"Most definitely."

**Huh. So I just read my previous author's note and just letting you know, I've completely dropped that. I've decided that they **_**will**_** go to Viridian/Pewter, but only after Fuchsia. Actually, I have no idea how that will work, but I'll make it happen. Let's see… In the next chapter I'll probably skip the week where they train and get on with the story, get them to Vermillion… Oh, he'll just get… Never mind. I just made the plot work. Anyway, oh shit. Damn it, I'm going to have to stick a contest in there somewhere… Fuck, I don't know why I started this.**

**Well. I sound like a terribly mean person when I write these author's notes, so I'm just going to tell you guys that I love you. You people are awesome.**

**Luff,**

**TSL**


	12. Battles Again

Four hours later, night was falling at around 9:00. Jack and I were cleaning up from our small dinner of toast and eggs- breakfast was a regular meal at any time when you were traveling. As Aquatrix helped me clean the pan, I heard Jack say something.

"What?" I called over the sound of the jet hitting the iron.

"I just realized!" he shouted back, laying out our sleeping bags. I nodded at Aquatrix, who stopped her barrage and I began wiping the pan down with one of Jack's dirty t-shirts. I was hoping he wouldn't notice yet, but judging by the fact that he kept shouting, even though the water had stopped, he wouldn't. "The summer solstice is-" he began loudly.

"Stop yelling, you old coot!" I replied in a softer voice, throwing the t-shirt over a branch to dry and returning to the pan to our packs. He glared at me. His eyes flickered to his t-shirt and he opened his mouth, his face indignant. I raised an eyebrow and put my hands on my hips. He shuddered.

"You look like my mother when you do that," he said softly. I laughed and sat down on my bag, feeling Aquatrix settle behind me and leaning slightly against her.

"Continue," I said courteously. He glared at me again and finished with his sleeping bag, sitting on it and whistling shortly. We watched as Spark tumbled out of the tree above and fell into Jack's palm. I smiled as he rubbed the yellow Pokémon's red spots and he smiled ruefully.

"So I was saying," he began, looking past me as he stroked Spark absently. I watched with interest as the hair on his arms stood up in waves because my pichu was letting out periodic spurts of static. "The summer solstice is in a few days, right?" he said, glancing at me. I nodded and he continued. "Lavender town has a huge solstice festival that lasts for a few days, and I'd like to be there. There's a tournament for trainers and a contest, as well," he added with a nod to me. I nodded back.

"I'll assume we have to sign up the day of the solstice?" I guessed. Jack nodded.

"Probably." He replied.

"So," I murmured, tapping my lip thoughtfully. "You finish training tomorrow, on the nineteenth. You battle Sabrina in the morning of the twentieth, the day of the solstice. We eat on the ride to Lavender and sign up, find a camp site and train." I said firmly. Jack smiled appreciatively at me and I found myself blushing and looking away. God, did this boy have _any _clue what he did to me?

"God, I wish to hell and back I had your planning skills. If I was alone in all of this, I would just run from place to place, hoping to be there on time," he informed me. I smiled weakly, still not looking at him. I noticed Spark had fallen asleep in his cupped palms. He saw my glance and smiled, tossing the Pokémon to me. I placed him onto my pillow and changed quickly, emerging back into the circle to see Jack, shirtless and lying back, Lunus at his side as he stared up into the sky. I tried to breathe and, finding I couldn't, coughed roughly as I flopped onto my bed and recalled Aquatrix to her Pokéball, sending out Stella instead. We hadn't bonded much since my acquisition and I wanted to get to know her better. I slid into the bag and stared at the sky, Stella curling up promptly on my chest and Spark remained at my ear. I heard rustling and noticed Jack turning to look at me out of the corner of my eye.

"Honestly, you've changed my entire traveling experience," he continued, still on his previous train of thought. My face was hot once again and I was furious that he could do this to me. I'd never blushed. Blushing was simply not something I did. Sure I got embarrassed, but I'd never _blushed_.

"Sorry," was all I could say. He laughed quietly and the sound was like heavenly music. I was always more of a romantic when I was tired. I was too logical when I was awake.

"No, no, it's not a bad thing," he reassured me. "I never wanted to travel with someone before, I guess I just didn't like new people, but I wanted to help you with your goal, and that's the best thing I've done on this journey." He continued. I wanted to slip further into my sleeping bag and just keep going. I hated compliments with a passion. But it didn't seem like he was complimenting me for his own ends, but because he honestly wanted to tell me. "You're a brilliant partner, and you definitely keep things real," he added thoughtfully, stroking Lunus with a pale arm.

"Go to sleep," I muttered, my voice muffled by my sleeping bag. He chuckled and continued to pet Lunus. I turned my back to him, letting Stella curl up in the hollow of my chest. The feeling of his eyes on me, however, still remained. I let in deep breaths and blew them out rhythmically, giving the appearance that I was asleep. I heard him get up and bank the fire, letting it smolder for a little light, before slipping back into his bag.

"Good night, Ari," he said quietly before turning away and falling quickly to sleep. I sat up, the ground suddenly uncomfortable beneath me. Stella looked at me curiously and I sighed, stroking her puffy mane as I stared at everything and nothing.

"He's so…" I murmured to her. "Odd. Off. Strange. He's got two different personalities. Well, like a personality and a half," I corrected. Stella gave me a pointed look and I understood both meanings. The first was that I was insane, the second was that he was a guy, what was I expecting? I looked at my Pokémon, startled.

"Oh, so you're an expert in guys now, are you?" I said indignantly. She stared at me and I realized I was talking to a Pokémon. I sighed and lay back down. "It's going to be a long night," I muttered.

-------

"Ari! Wake up! It's your turn to cook!" Jack was yelling from several feet away. I groaned. How badly I wanted to tell him that it was his fault I was still asleep. Up for another hour thinking about him, and then for some reason spooked by the too-silent woods around us, I'd fallen asleep around what I suspected to be three AM.

"Bite me." I muttered in reply, my face against the pillow. I felt fingers close around my ear. "Get 'im," I commanded. Spark, still nestled against me, launched himself at Jack, who cried out in more surprise then pain.

"Witch!" he exclaimed. I cackled, no relation intended. Next thing I knew, he had me by the elbows and was lifting me up and holding me steady as I wobbled. I glared at him and my eyes were pierced by bright sunlight.

"Good god, what time is it?" I muttered, putting hands over my eyes. Jack removed them and held them tightly. I felt my heart pound faster.

"Seeing the light will help you wake up. And it's almost noon." My scrunched eyes shot open and my jaw dropped.

"Are you shitting me?" I exclaimed. He smiled and shook his head apologetically.

"When I tried to get you up earlier, Stella bit me, so I just left you here." He shrugged. "I figured she had her reasons." I nodded sleepily.

"Thank you," I said to him, and then to my eevee, who smiled and chirped. I stretched, regretfully but firmly pulling my hands from Jack's. "Let me change, then I'll get lunch together," I promised. He smiled and nodded.

"Sky told me there's a trainer coming down the road, so we may have to feed him as well," he told me meaningfully, implying that there was an immanent battle. I nodded and grabbed my stuff, disappearing to come back with a crimson tank top and dark jeans I'd rolled into capris. I quickly set to work making soup and toasting some bread. Noting Jack's disappearance, I figured he was already battling and disappeared into the woods to see if I could find anything else. Twenty minutes saw my return into the clearing with a handful of apples. Jack was sitting with an older boy, probably about seventeen or eighteen, eating their helpings of soup. I smiled shyly as they looked up. Jack smiled.

"This is Ari, my traveling partner." The man smiled brightly.

"A good cook, and good looking to match!" he teased. I blushed and looked at the ground. He was pretty handsome, to be honest. With short black hair spiked into a ducktail that was fashionable rather than rebellious, clear brown eyes, a striking jaw and a firm nose, he looked quite ambitious and strong. His shoulders were broad and the black t-shirt definitely showed his muscles to his advantage. Dark mesh shorts revealed muscled calves and a good taste in sneakers. "I'm Louis Fell." He introduced himself. I reached out a hand.

"Arabel Nightingale," I replied, shaking his firm hand. Jack offered me my bowl of soup and toast, but I shook my head, showing him the apples. "For the Pokémon," I explained. He smiled and nodded and they watched me as I cut one of the apples into tiny slivers for Spark, Stella and Saffron. Two others were cut into larger pieces for Storm, Lunus, Aquatrix and Azure, who were lounging a little way away- Sky preferred to eat bugs, as she made apparent by tapping determinedly at the tree overhead. I gave the Pokémon the apples, as the boys continued to eat. With three remaining, I looked over at Jack and Louis, still eating and still watching.

"Do your Pokémon want any?" I asked, holding up the apple. He smiled.

"They're good, thanks," he replied. I nodded and simply got Aquatrix to wash the remaining apples and handed one each to the boys, keeping one for myself. I sat down next to Jack and dipped into my soup.

"So what Pokémon do you have?" I asked Louis. He finished his swallow of soup.

"I specialize in grass types," he began. "I've got a gloom, a weepinbell, a roselia, a wartortle, and a pikachu," he told me. I thought for a moment.

"That's quite a team. Roselias are from Hoenn, right?" I queried. He smiled, pleased my knowledge, and nodded. "And the wartortle and pikachu are to defend against the fire and flying types that people will use against your grass types?" I continued. He laughed and dug Jack in the ribs.

"Pretty, a good cook, _and _smart!" he exclaimed, causing me to blush and Jack, to my interest, go slightly red. "What a catch!" he told him gleefully. I managed to laugh. Louis was, by my estimation, the carefree, easygoing, always-cheerful type.

"Thank you," I murmured. "But we're just friends," I told him firmly, trying to gauge Jack's reaction. He smiled at me, telling me nothing. Louis winked.

"Of course." I blushed again.

"So how did the battle go?" I asked, determined to change the subject as I finished my bread.

"Oh very well!" Louis exclaimed. "One for one, though I didn't use my gloom," he began, putting down his bowl and gesturing with his hand. He patted Jack on the shoulder again. "That pidgeot of yours is quite strong," he commented. Jack smiled.

"She beat his weepinbell and almost his pikachu," he explained to me. I nodded with a smile.

"Luckily for me, pikachu came back with a good thunder shock. Quite a shock when she was taken down almost immediately by that fantastic umbreon of yours," Louis added. He looked around, brow furrowed. "Where is he, anyway?" he queried. Jack and I looked up. Lunus was missing, and so, I noticed, was Aquatrix. I raised my brows at Jack, who seemed to have caught on as well. He shrugged, a smile pulling his lips.

"Gallivanting with my vaporeon, I suspect," I answered. Louis nodded. "Please, continue with the match," I prompted, biting into my apple.

"Lunus was taken out after a harsh match with his wartortle," Jack told me, playing with his apple. "Then Azure finished off the wartortle, but was defeated by a fantastic solar beam by roselia," he continued. I sighed- I'd always wanted to see a good solar beam in action.

"Good old roselia fell to Storm however," Louis admitted. He grinned at Jack. "Intelligent chap forgot to mention his handy fire type," he explained. I laughed and took another nibble of my apple.

"Shame I missed it," I remarked regretfully. Louis nodded.

"It was quite a match indeed, but I'm sure with Jack you see those all the time," he assured me. I smiled at him.

"Together we make quite the adventure," I replied. He laughed and glanced at the sky, pursing his lips.

"Well, I must make it to Cerulean," he told us. "Want to get a little training in before my battle with Misty," he explained. I shook his hand over Jack's lap.

"Good luck. It was a pleasure to meet you," I told him honestly. He smiled and kissed my knuckles. I flushed. What was it with guys and doing that? Honestly! It was the 21st century, after all. He chuckled and shook Jack's hand firmly.

"Good luck at Saffron," he told him, standing up. He smiled at me again. "Thank you for lunch, and good luck with your contests," he said courteously.

"Thank you," I called to him as he walked down the path. Suddenly feeling tired, I fell against Jack, my head on his shoulder as I ate my apple little by little. We sat in a comfortable silence until Lunus and Aquatrix emerged from the woods looking tired but pleased. I bolted upright and looked at Jack as Lunus and Aquatrix curled up on Jack's sleeping bag.

"EW!" we echoed before bursting out laughing. Finally, gasping for breath, we sat up and grinned at each other.

"You've got your egg now," he told me. "Then you can ditch me and find someone worth your time," he teased. I blinked. That was odd. I found a smile.

"Come on, you're a great partner," I assured him, standing up and tossing my apple core into the woods. I turned to him and helped him, standing on my toes and hugging him gently. My heart sped up as he returned it. I smiled up at him. "I promise I'll never ditch you," I assured him as I forced myself to step away.

"Neither," he promised. I grinned and held up my fist, pinky out.

"Pinky swear," I said firmly. He laughed and we linked pinkies as he took a bite out of his apple, tossing it into the woods. I grinned and wiped the juice from the corner of his mouth.

"What are you, five?" I teased, still somehow feelings his lip against the pad of my finger. I tried to slow down my heartbeat, amazed I was this calm. He grinned ruefully.

"I'm sorry mum," he said apologetically, looking down at me with his puppy-dog eyes. "Please forgive me," he begged, kneeling down and looking up at me piteously. "I'll try harder, I swear!" he continued. I shook my head, giggling.

"Ever considered a career in acting?" I teased. He laughed and ruffled my hair.

"Nah," he replied easily. "You and I are such an outstanding duo, it would be a shame to split us up," he explained. I quickly crushed the hope that dared to rise in my heart. The less I expected, the less it would hurt. I hoped my smile wasn't broken and bitter.

"Of course," I replied. "Now help me clean up," I ordered. He rolled his eyes and gave me a quick one-armed hug, his lips dangerously close to my temple. I waited for what seemed like forever to get that feathery kiss, but it didn't happen. He pulled away and set to work. I watched after him for a short moment before biting my lip furiously and turning away to clean up my side of the campsite. So much for hurting less…

------

"I'm really sorry I can't make it," Jack told me earnestly for what seemed the thousandth time that Wednesday, the 20th and the solstice. "Stupid battle," he muttered darkly. I shook my head.

"Go." I ordered firmly. He gave me one last glance and I glared at him. He held up his hands.

"All right, so much for caring," he retorted under his breath. I smirked.

"You lose," I said primly. I blinked- he was staring at me. I glanced down at myself, then back at him, noting nothing out of the ordinary. "Hello?" I said softly, confused. He shook his head.

"I love that dress," he admitted. I watched him. Guys certainly didn't say things like that. I flinched. If he was gay, I didn't know if I'd be able to handle it. Oh, I have nothing against homosexuals, know a few, actually, but really. It's Jack! I didn't know if I could turn him from head over heels crush to sassy best friend. He shook his head again and bent down, kissing my cheek. "Knock 'em dead," he instructed, gripping my shoulder firmly. I smiled shyly, blushing, and nodded. Resettling his bag on his shoulder, he set off on his bike for the center. From there he would go to his second battle. The first one he'd lost, but it was done by a point system, and he had still managed to proceed to the second round.

I was standing in front of the contest hall, decked out in a dress I'd rented for my competition. It was bright blue, hung to my knees, and tied around my neck. With it I wore my black heels from the Battlers' Ball, along with some jewelry I'd rented from the store as well. The store, Coordinator's Fancy, was a shop solely devoted to lending out clothes to coordinators such as myself. My necklace was a black ribbon and my bracelets and anklets, two on each limb, were simple silver chains. My hair was tied in a side braid, which the lady at Coordinator's Fancy had helped me do. A silver satin headband had been added to the mix as well, the cloth around it had been tied at the nape of my neck and now hung over my back. She had told me quite seriously that judges didn't look just at the Pokémon.

I sighed and slung my bag over my shoulder, heading inside. I checked in at the front desk as I had that day with Taylor, and made for the dressing rooms, where I found a secluded corner and a bench. Sticking my bag in a locker that was keyed to the contest pass I'd received earlier that day, I sat on the bench and released Aquatrix onto the bench beside me. We watched each other easily, and I noticed her stomach was a little fuller. I scratched her forehead.

"Good girl," I murmured softly. "You ready?" I asked. She yipped, adding her voice to the cacophony of other Pokémon voices. I smiled. "We'll kick ass," I promised her. She gave me her little smirk and we sat for another ten minutes until the competition began. TVs all over the locker room showed what was happening onstage. We watched the contestants, just barely, everything just fading out of importance for me. Aquatrix and I were number seven. Finally, a voice penetrated my thoughts.

"Contestant 6, go on out. Contestant 7, you're on deck!" came the loudspeaker. I shivered lightly and beckoned to Aquatrix to follow me on what I thought of as the walk of death, out of the side door and into the wings of the stage. After recalling Aquatrix, I watched through unfocused eyes as contestant number 6 and her pikachu made a dazzling flash attack. I cut out the speech of the MC, taking deep breaths that didn't help. Finally, it was my turn, and the stagehand ushered me out. Tripping a little, I straightened myself out and walked proudly out on stage, beaming and waving to the crowd. Above all things, I'd learned, from Taylor's competition, from those I'd seen on TV, and the lady at Coordinator's Fancy, being charismatic was one way to really earn you points.

"And here is Arabel Nightingale of Vermilion City, with her vaporeon, Aquatrix!" the MC exclaimed in her flashy outfit, smiling reassuringly at me. I grinned. I had it. Everything was going to be perfect.

"All right Aquatrix," I shouted, the Pokéball leaving my sweaty palm to dance in the air. "Rain dance!" I ordered. As she appeared in a flash of red, her fins glowed slightly and rain began to stream from clouds that had appeared from the ceiling. I was safe and dry, though the MC had to jump out from under the clouds. I grinned. "Aurora beam, and follow up with acid armor!" I instructed. She yipped and the shimmering beam flew from her muzzle, freezing the little drops into astonishing drops of ice that glittered in the harsh light of the stands. Only adding to their shine and brilliance, my Pokémon coated herself in a shining liquid that radiated bright light as she struck a valiant pose, tail up, one paw in the air, face pointed proudly. As the drops fell to the floor and tinkled beautifully, like tiny bells being rung simultaneously, the audience broke into applause. The rain stopped falling and Aquatrix's acid armor dissolved and we stood, waving to the crowd. She glanced at me, as if to say, 'Now that wasn't so hard, was it?'

Twenty minutes later, the announcement for who was continuing to the second round was made. There were three rounds: the appeal round that had already happened, the second round, in which their were four winners our of eight, the third round with two winners of four, and the final round, which decided the winner. I was hoping to get to at least the third round, though I knew there was no way I'd win the final round, even with the intense battling skills of Stella, who I'd be using. My battle was the second one, so it was just over five minutes (each battle was max five minutes if there wasn't a winner) when I was called to go do my battle. Tossing and catching Stella's Pokéball with a confidant smirk, I made my way onto the stage- I knew there would be no chance I would win if I didn't think I could.

"And it's Ari of Vermillion City with her eevee against Walker of Fuchsia and his gloom!" the MC announced to the cheering crowd. I smiled grimly and tossed my Pokéball into the air, catching it and weaving it in between my fingers as I took an offensive stance and waited. Stella, landing on the hard packed dirt floor, growled as menacingly as a puffball like her could and glared at my opponent, who quickly released the purple Pokémon.

"Stella tail whip!" I ordered at once. She spun and whipped her tail in the direction of the gloom, who was watching it, as if mesmerized.

"Gloom, bullet seed!" Walker ordered. I opened my mouth, but before I could say anything, Stella had leapt into the air, dodging the steady stream of seeds with a fierce look in her eyes. I was amazed, especially as she further proved her lack of need for me and my directions as she bolted towards her foe in a quick attack, jumping and leaping over the stream that headed towards her until she slammed into the gloom, sending it toppling backwards. I shook my head in amazement.

"Stella, sand attack!" I shouted. I wasn't sure if she would follow my directions, but she did, sending the cloud of dust flying everywhere. I coughed. "Finish off with tackle!" I managed to yell.

"Gloom, absorb!" Walker shouted before falling into a coughing fit. The dust cleared and it had been too late. The gloom was out cold and Stella looked triumphant. Walker was as stunned as I was. Then I grinned, bent down and gathered Stella into my arms, who'd come bounding cutely over, as if she hadn't just demolished another Pokémon.

"Atta girl!" I cheered with the crowd, scratching her behind the ears as she chirped happily and licked my face. I held her up and laughed, spinning. "You little demon!" I said happily. She nuzzled my face and I held her to my chest as I waved to the crowd.

"And an astonishing win by Ari Nightingale, first time contestant with her fabulous eevee, Stella!" it was the MC. I listened, even as I met Walker in the middle and shook his hand.

"You're eevee is amazing," he murmured admirably. I smiled up at him, a thick brunette boy who looked to be about Jack's age or older.

"To be honest, I didn't know she could do that," I admitted. He smiled.

"Good luck," he added before we went out separate ways.

"…Never before have we seen a battle like that," The MC was saying. "Over in under one minute, and Ari lost absolutely no points!" Walking off stage, I saw the giant screen that had my picture and the bar that represented my points. It was true that it was all blue, revealing none of the green it would have if I'd lost any points. I hugged Stella tightly as I excited the wing, wishing good luck to the next contestant. I was greeted by remaining contestants and congratulated, which I took with a blush and told them to congratulate Stella and not me. After that, I retreated to my corner, sitting down on the floor and putting my Pokémon in my lap.

"So did you know you could do that?" I asked her. She mewed and gave a kind of shrug. I smiled at her. "You're astounding," I assured her. She licked my face, curled up, and went to sleep.

-------

"Huh. She evolved. When you lost."

"That's what I toldja, isn't it?" I asked irritably.

"But… She… For a Pokémon like Espeon to evolve, she has to grow a level."

"She didn't lose," I reminded him. "We ran out of time and had less points. Maybe she still gained experience from that." I muttered. My confidence had grown as I won my third round battle. I'd lost because of time in the final round to an accomplished charmeleon.

"But also, she has to really, really like you," he added. I glared at Jack.

"Look." I said testily. "She evolved. Get over it." I told him as we pedaled out of Lavender towards our campsite. Jack was not thrown by my bad mood. The fact that Stella hadn't actually been knocked out, combined with the thought that I might have actually won the contest, had put me into quite a bad mood. I probably would have shoved Jack off his bike and into a ditch, had Stella's evolution not lightened my mood slightly. I was halfway to my goal. I heard Jack draw a breath and promptly threw a joyous Spark at him. He landed bull's-eye in Jack's moth. Jack sighed, pulled Spark out and settled him on his handlebars.

"All right, all right, I'll shut up, but you better be happy tomorrow," he warned darkly. I would have smirked, but I didn't feel like giving him the satisfaction of knowing he amused me. I sighed as we pulled out of the town and into a thicket. This was the place Jack had made camp the year before. All you had to do was go through an extremely annoying, pointy, barbed hedge to get to it. Stupid hedge.

It did, however, have the softest grass I'd ever slept on, a pond big enough to wash your clothes and your body in, and it was in a fresh river, so the water was drinkable and soap wouldn't contaminate the water. I sighed and threw my sleeping bag onto the ground under the big tree, which was a pretty dogwood was perfect for climbing. I collapsed onto it and watched as Jack patiently set up a fire and opened the bag of take-out we'd ordered for dinner. I felt guilty, brooding with Saffron in my lap and Stella in my thoughts, as Jack made sure the fire was up, unrolled his own sleeping bag, and set out bowls of Pokémon food. He only looked up at me when he gestured for me to let my Pokémon join his for dinner.

It wasn't that he was avoiding me, he was just giving me space to cool down. Unfortunately, it was so pointed and apologetic, as if he was blaming himself for my mood, that I found myself feeling, like I said, guilty. Stupid Jack. I sighed and lay down, staring through the branches at the dark sky. Jack handed me the bowl of peanut butter ice cream I'd ordered for my dinner (four scoops), which he'd been wise enough not to try to dissuade me from buying.

At home, I'd mastered the art of eating lying down, especially once I'd gotten my eccentric uncle Aki to set up a contraption that held a book for me so I could lie down and read it. You know when you're reading and you can't read on your stomach because your neck hurts from looking up, and when you're on your side, you have to hold it out in front of you, and when you're on your back and you have to hold it up and then your arms hurt? Yeah. Aki had expressed a similar annoyance and we'd worked together for a month during one of my summers to create it.

Staring up at the stars and eating my ice cream, with one of those tiny taste-testing spoons (eating with those was as much therapy as the ice cream, for some reason) I heard Jack eating his BLT. I sighed.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly.

"Don't be," he replied at once. I couldn't see him through the fire. I made a questioning noise. "I was twice this bad when I lost to Flint at Pewter City," he explained. I sighed.

"Jack?" I asked, anger gone. There was a pause, while I assumed he chewed.

"Yes?" he replied.

"When I was battling today, Stella went ahead and attacked without my commanding her too," I told him. There was a thoughtful silence.

"This is my guess. Take a say… Level fifty charizard. Put him with a rookie trainer," he began, taking a small bite. I continued to lift the godly concoction that was peanut butter ice cream to my lips as I waited. "Now, Pokémon and their trainers, and how they battle, don't just depend on the strength of the Pokémon and the knowledge of the trainer," he reminded me, taking another small bite. "The Pokémon has to respect the trainer, and know that he or she is intelligent and worthy of its servitude," he explained. "And they're also quite adept and sensing emotions. They'll know if you're afraid, or unconfident, or untrusting." Another bite as he paused to think over his words. "Now go back to the charizard and the rookie. The rookie has never commanded a Pokémon before. He knows charizard's attacks, but nothing more than that. He's never seen a Pokémon that big or strong. What does the charizard sense?" he asked me. My expected involvement took me off guard and I thought quickly.

"Anxiety, under-confidence and fear," I replied uncertainly. I smiled. "Uncertainty." I added. I saw Jack's shadow nod.

"Exactly. And of course, this strong, bold charizard doesn't respect the trainer, because the trainer is not up to par with the level of skill this charizard expects," he explained. I nodded slowly. "Now, put the charizard with say, a trainer who's been at it for about five years, who's got at least four gym badges under his belt," he continued. I thought for a moment.

"The charizard knows that the trainer knows that he's doing and that the trainer respects the him not just as a battler, but also as something that can think for itself," I replied. I heard a smile in Jack's voice and blushed, pleased.

"Right again. So now, I present you with a bit of trivia. Espeon, and umbreon for that matter," he added thoughtfully, "Need to be at a certain level of love for their trainers, and must be leveled up, to reach evolution. But also, that level must be over twenty." I frowned. I hadn't known that. I heard him pulling something out of his bag before he continued. "Therefore, your Stella must be over level twenty." I nodded.

"Makes sense," I replied.

"On your Pokédex, there's a list of moves and when a Pokémon will learn them, as in, what level they're learn it at," he said, voice slightly distracted as he manipulated the tiny computer. "She knows quick attack, right?" he asked.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Then I'm going to guess she's at level 25 now." He said. I waited.

"Is this going to lead back to why she attacked without me?" I asked him finally. He sighed.

"I did it again, didn't I?" he asked me. I smiled.

"Yup." He shook his head.

"For certain level Pokémon, you need a gym badge. No badges allow Pokémon up to twenty. One badge allows Pokémon up to 30, three badges is 50, etc., etc." he told me.

"Ah," I said, enlightened. There was a short pause. "I think we can make a detour into Pewter before going home," I suggested. "I have the best type advantage against Brock." I explained.

"Perfect," he replied. I yawned.

"I'm gonna turn in," I told him. He nodded.

"I'll clean up," he replied. There was the guilt again.

"I'm sorry," I murmured. He shook his head and waved me off as I dug for clothes in my bag.

"It's fine," he assured me. I returned a minute later with pajamas on, too lazy to brush my teeth or wash my face. I slid into my sleeping bag.

"Good night, Jack,"

"Good night, Ari."

**All right, let's measure the ups and downs of this chapter. Ari's contest: good. Battle scene: bad (quality, not the fact that it's there). Rather quick update: Good. Not Beta'd or edited in the least: Bad. Stella evolves: Good. You don't see it happen: Bad. Ten pages (as opposed to 7): Good. No real end to contest: Bad. So it's one of those, oh it kind of sucks but I'm glad I read it chapters.**

**Gotta run,**

**TSL**

**[luffles you all!**


	13. The Chapter Title that was Too Long

**Chapter 13: In Which Ari Experiences Excessive Amounts of Fluff**

The next morning, still feeling bad about last night, I got up early and had a breakfast of warmed croissants from a shop in town, and bacon and eggs from our stores, ready by the time Jack got up. He smiled sleepily at me and I smiled apologetically and shyly back. I handed him his plate and looked at him.

"I'll be upstream, taking a bath." I told him. I paused. "I'll have my bathing suit if you need me," I told him, blushing furiously. To his credit, he didn't turn red, but I did hear him choke on quite a substantial piece of bacon and attempt to nod while he pretended not to be fighting for breath. My mood a little brighter, I grabbed my suit, my toiletries, and Aquatrix, heading up the sandy banks of the pond to its source, a small river. Heading a little past that, I changed quickly, released Aquatrix and slipped into the water, submerging myself in the current. I washed my hair quickly with the organic stuff that wouldn't hurt the stream or the Pokémon in it. Done with soaping my body as well, I decided a little swim in the pond wouldn't hurt either. I loved swimming and hadn't done it since a few weeks prior to my departure. Smiling at Aquatrix and gesturing towards the entrance into the pond, I dove in, opening my eyes and seeing her next to me as we slid into the big pond, the muddy bottom falling away until I had to stretch to touch it on my toes. I swam happily with Aquatrix, not bothering to keep track of the time.

Suddenly, I heard a splash from far away and looked towards our campsite. Sure enough, Jack was suspiciously missing and the fire was banked. I bit my lip, hoping he hadn't cleaned up. I'd planned to do that as well, to make up for last night. Curse my everlasting sense of guilt. Thinking, I quickly dove underwater, seeing a few remoraid and goldeen scatter as I went. I saw a blurry shape in the distance, only because the pond was beautifully clean and clear, though living with my mother had helped my underwater eyesight, even without goggles. The shape, the bottom of Jack's body, dove underwater, and I saw him smile at me before I had to surface and blink rapidly, gasping slightly. He surfaced as well, grinning, his chiseled torso all too apparent. Either my hormones were finally kicking in or Jack was putting something in my food, because I'd never noticed guys' muscles before leaving Vermillion and meeting him.

"My battle isn't until this afternoon, so I thought we might relax," he suggested. I smiled.

"Sounds good," I replied. Jack grinned and shook his head.

"If only there were other people we could chicken fight with," he murmured. My eyes widened and I shook my head adamantly.

"Oh no, never. I will never again chicken fight," I told him firmly. He grinned, moving a little closer.

"What, afraid of getting beaten?" he teased. I shook my head.

"I have a twin brother," I told him meaningfully. He chuckled.

"Come on," he said, holding out his hands in a gesture of peace. "It couldn't have been that bad," he replied. I raised my eyebrows.

"You've never met Samuel Nightingale. He is an utter _nightmare!_" I informed my traveling partner. Jack shook his head.

"He's just a guy," Jack protested. I raised my eyebrows even higher, crossing my arms over my chest. At the same time, I suddenly realized I was wearing just a bathing suit and unconsciously sunk a little lower into the pond. I was normal around most guys, but I couldn't help but feel suddenly shockingly ugly and fat around Jack, especially in my 'skimpy' bathing suit, which was actually quite modest, made even more so by the 'bikinis' you saw in modern times, which were rather like pieces of cloth with some string attached.

"And that's an excuse?" I asked Jack incredulously. He shrugged.

"What can I say, we're all kind of dumb," he told me simply. I shook my head.

"Jack Marcum, you astound me," I told him finally. He smiled brightly, as if pleased greatly by my comment, which wasn't exactly a compliment. He made a sweeping bow.

"Ari, my dear, that's all I'll ever try to do," he replied. I shook my head again.

"Twice…" I murmured, indicating my former statement. He laughed and looked at me contemplatively. Moving my arms to cover more of my skin and my black cloth bikini, I looked at him questioningly. A smirk was growing on his lips. I sidled backwards, made nervous by the devious smile.

"If not chicken fighting, then perhaps tag?" he queried, as if asking after the weather. I squeaked as he dove for me and shot out of the way, into the water, kicking furiously, my arms moving swiftly. I pulled easily into a butterfly stroke, my favorite, popping in and out of the water. Hearing nothing behind me as I surfaced, I slowed to a halt, finding myself far from our campsite. I looked around carefully for the telltale bubbles that would alert me to motion beneath the surface. Shivering in the shallowness of the pond where I was standing, I hugged myself as I looked around carefully. Nothing.

"He can't hold his breath that lo-" I was cut off as a hand slipped over my lips. I instinctively drew in a breath, which my captor waited for, before falling backwards and bringing me with him. I thanked whatever deities existed for that breath, and Jack's sense to let me take it. I squealed and squirmed in his grasp, but a strong arm around my stomach kept me in place. Finally, I broke free and shot to the surface, gasping. I stumbled backwards as Jack rose, dripping from the water, laughing gleefully.

"Ari, that was brilliant!" he cheered. "Should've seen the look on your face!" he told me. He flicked his head to the side in a movement that would have made my neck crack, but only served to give him an absolutely model-esque hair-do. I took him in for a moment, expressionless. I knew guys that would kill to have half of Jack's looks. I hoped it hadn't been longer than three seconds that I was staring at him, or I'd definitely have turned into one of those bumbling teenage girls who can do nothing but stare at boys.

_But it's Jack, _protested one part of my mind. I had a point there. Oh, now I'm talking to myself. I blinked and looked at Jack, who'd stopped laughing and was staring at me in confusion. I blinked again.

"What?" I asked him.

"You were… You know," he began. "Away," he provided. I winced. Must've spaced out again.

"Yeah, sorry about that," I muttered. But he was already heading towards me. I yelped and stumbled as I tried to turn around, dashing through the pond, the water moving farther up my body. Before I could even start swimming, Jack was upon me again, scooping me up bridal style. I squeaked and wrapped my arms around his neck as he laughed. We were deep enough that my butt just skimmed the water. I buried my head in his neck so I didn't have to look at him, my pulse pounding.

How in the name of all things holy did he _do _this to me? He was still laughing, his voice, deep and wonderful and chill-down-my-spine creating and everything that seemed to embody him and… wow I must've gotten less sleep than I originally assumed. This was actually particularly unlike me. Tuning back into the world, I noticed Jack was moving, and talking. Looking up, I noticed we were moving towards the campsite.

"…in about an hour, so we better get-" he was saying.

"Blanked out again," I interrupted quickly, managing to look up at him without a blush rising into my cheeks. "Say again?" I requested. He smiled at me as he splashed onto solid ground.

"My battle should start in about an hour, so we better get some lunch and go," he repeated dutifully.

"Ah," I said, enlightened. At this point, we realized that he was still holding me and I still had my arms around his neck. I squeaked. He made a noise similar to "Wooaaahoh!" I let go. He pulled his arms away.

"Ow…" I moaned, on the dirt, my back slightly arched as I tried to breath.

"Shit, whoa, didn't mean to do that," Jack muttered quickly, kneeling down next to me. I sat upright, reminding me that no matter how perfect he was, he still had some issues with girls.

"Crap on a crust," I grumbled, rubbing my tail bone. Ignoring Jack's bewildered look, I noticed dirt on my back and in my hair and quickly dove back into the water. Clean (and my pulse at a proper rate) I stood up and walked calmly out of the water. Jack was staring at me.

"Crap on a crust?" he queried. I smiled cheerfully.

"Phrase I learned from- shit on a shingle!" I shouted. Jack looked around wildly, as if someone was about to attack us.

"What, what?" he asked me quickly. Gaping I pointed at the ground. Jack blinked and turned to me, instead of where I was pointing.

"Shit on a shingle?" he asked. I glared at him.

"Look first, you're ruining the effect," I ordered sternly. Utterly confused but compliant, he followed my finger and gasped.

"That was fast…" he murmured. A tan-ish egg was sitting by the banked fire, a brown stripe zigzagging cheerfully across its surface. "You know, scientists have never documented a Pokémon laying an egg," he remarked thoughtfully. "So even though Pokémon hatch from eggs, nobody's really sure if it's some kind of natural phenomenon," he added.

"You're a dork, and no, probably not, Pokémon probably want to have sex too." Oh my god I just said that. Jack's head jerked towards me. His look read, Oh my god she just said that. I slapped a hand over my mouth. "Oh god, I just said that. Holy crap I'm spending too much time with men," I muttered, horrified. Jack blinked at me.

"Man," he corrected slowly. Still staring off into the distance, I shook my head slowly.

"Boy," I muttered, too quiet for him to hear. "I'm going to hurl myself into the pond," I said calmly, though still utterly disgusted and wierded out. Suddenly I looked at Jack. "This is all just quite odd, can we pretend it never happened?" I said vacuously. He blinked.

"I'm good with that," he replied. I shook my head and looked around.

"Oh hell, my towel's up near the stream," I grumbled heading towards my bathing spot. Jack, still on the ground, stood up and waved me off. He gestured to the log he'd earlier occupied, where a plain blue towel was sitting.

"I'll get it, and your stuff, use mine," he told me easily. I paused, trying to remember if there was anything he shouldn't see. No, undergarments folded inside my pants and shirt (I was really quite anal about that). I waved him off.

"If you insist," I replied, heading for his towel and wrapping it around myself. He smiled at me before heading off. I watched him go and began cleaning up from breakfast. As he returned, I was heating up a pan for grilled cheese, Aquatrix loping slowly along at his side. I looked up and smiled. He grinned, patting Aquatrix on the side.

"Found her in the water," he explained. I smiled and recalled my tired Pokémon, glancing at the egg. Jack followed my gaze and I glanced back at him. He gestured towards the egg. "Better keep it warm," he suggested. I blinked.

"Right, of course," I muttered, trotting over and scooping it into my arms. "It's all happening so fast," I remarked, still looking at the little wonder.

"The faster you get your eevees, the faster they grow and become more powerful and better contestants," he reminded me. I glanced up at him, looking at him for a short moment.

"Good point," I replied. I sent out Saffron, who chirped at me. I smiled. "Keep this warm for me?" I asked her, holding out the egg. She sniffed it curiously, her little nose wrinkling cutely. She nodded and I slid the little egg up against her as she curled up and went to sleep.

"Good call," he murmured. I grinned and headed to my bag with the stuff he'd returned, folding the clothes and slipping them in. Then I pulled out one of my skirts, the short pink one I'd worn the day I'd been sketched to be the trainer for the new Pokémon game. I slid it on, suddenly feeling adventurous and not bothering with a top. Where this sudden confidence came from, I had no clue, but it was worth a shot, wasn't it? Returning to the pan, I found the last of our butter and spread it on four pieces of bread, the cheese slices on a rock beside me. As I began making them, lost in my thoughts, Jack returned fully clothed, in his Pewter City Festival shirt and ripped jeans. I heard his stomach growl behind me and rolled my eyes.

"Lunch, lovely," he murmured.

"Boys," I muttered. He laughed and settled down across the fire from me, stroking Saffron in her sleep.

"Only too true," he remarked. We fell into a silence, awkward at first and then easier as I handed him his sandwich, which he dove into with almost disgusting speed. Nibbling slowly on mine, I watched him curiously. Even living with Sam hadn't informed me that food could be consumed at that speed. He glanced up at me, mid-bite.

"Wha?" he asked me, mouth full of food. Well that was gross. It wasn't often that Jack reminded me I was with an actual teenage boy instead of a mature man. I shook my head and returned to my own food.

"Nothing," I said lightly. I smiled a little into the tiny bite mark. Suddenly, Jack seemed a whole lot more accessible. My eyes flicked back up to him, sucking the grease off of his pinky finger, the sandwich demolished and residing in Jack's digestive track. My smile becoming bigger, I took an extra large bite of my sandwich, eager to start whatever chapter came next.

--------

The next day, Jack had come in fifth for the tournament. Jack, after some serious thinking and a trip to the local library to look at the Internet, he realized that the girl who had beaten him was a gym leader from Hoenn region. She had won the entire tournament, and he honestly was all right with the fact that he'd lost to a gym leader, especially because of his recent victory over Sabrina at the Saffron Gym. (When we'd gone to the gym, only Jack had been allowed inside: Sabrina didn't allow visitors. After ten minutes of doing nothing, I'd wandered away to explore the town, returning only when Sky had spotted me and pecked me all the way back to the gym an hour later.)

At the closing celebration for the solstice festival, a short skit about the legend of a Pokémon named Ho-oh was enacted, followed by awards' ceremony and then fireworks. Jack and I had decided on a whim to leave in the evening and make camp near the sea route by midnight at the latest. We were due to spend the day just taking a break by the sea before heading off down towards Diglett's Cave on Sunday morning. We hoped to be back in Vermillion by Monday morning at the latest. My birthday was Tuesday the 26th.

When the fireworks ended, Jack and I set off among the trudging feet, heading south out of the town, the wind blowing the sea air at us already. With Spark in my basket with my egg and Lunus just ahead, we had enough warning for rough patches of road as the cool salt air made me shiver in my thin collared shirt. The wind died down as we found ourselves in a tiny valley, making our way down the dirt path in the soft darkness. We were lost in both silence and thought as we pedaled up the long, gentle hill that led from the valley, but the icy wind slammed us from our reveries. I immediately began to shiver, and Jack flinched. Spark hunkered down in the basket, protectively covering as much of the egg with his tiny body as he could. I slowed.

"Jack, hold on!" I called over the whistling wind. Once he had figured out what I had said, he pointed to a tiny copse of trees. I nodded and struggled through the wind to shelter under the trees, breathing deeply. "Let me just get myself together," I told him. He nodded. I pulled off my hat, which was blowing every which way, and shoved it into my bag. I recalled Spark, then began to search for the jacket I thought I'd brought, but to no avail. I must have left it at home.

"Damn," I growled. Jack looked at me. "Forgot my jacket," I told him absently, trying to figure out the best way to protect my egg and keep it warm. Jack began to dig through his own pack, finally pulling out an olive green zip up jacket, thin but strong. I smiled thankfully at him and zipped it up tightly around my small frame, noting how Jack's broad shoulders had stretched out the material. Finally making up my mind, I cushioned the egg in some of my pajama shirts and closed my bag again. I looked up at Jack, who'd been staring distractedly at a hill that blocked the sea from view. "I'm ready," I said quietly. He nodded.

"Go ahead, I'll bring up the rear," he assured me, resettling his bag on his shoulder. I raised an eyebrow, as he usually led the way, but he shrugged. "It's a straight path," he added. I shrugged and stepped onto my bike again, heading back out into the wind, my dark hair streaming behind me. It was hard, pushing through the wind, but we made it. Fifteen minutes later, my calves burning and my lungs heaving, we finally sighted the ocean. The salt and freshness assaulted us as the series of hills and cliffs passed out of view. The full moon, high to our left, shined loudly over the sea, its reflection elongated impossibly over the cheerful riptides. Jack's yell reached me over all the sounds.

"Go right!" he was shouting. I glanced right and there was the sea route, a seemingly endless maze of wooden docks. I gaped, but Jack shouted again and broke free, looking to the right to find a huge rock, hewn flat and smooth by thousands of years of wind and ocean powered storms. He was pointing past it and pushed his pedals towards it. I followed obediently, and he led me behind it. It wasn't a boulder, by any sense, but more of a wall. I stared at the perfect curvature of protection it offered. A fresh water stream trickled about fifteen feet away, under the shade of an Oran berry tree. I looked down at the thick springy grass under my feet, then up at Jack, who was grinning at me.

"You owe me," he said pointedly, pinching my cheek like an old lady. I smacked his hand away in disgruntlement, receiving a laugh. I smiled at the ground as I began to set out my stuff under the staunch security of the rock wall.

-------

Ten hours later, I woke feeling slightly refreshed. The acrid smell of Jack's usual cooking burned through the clean air and I shook my head in amusement. I slid out of my sleeping bag, today in a tank top and shorts for the warm weather, and trotted over to Jack, gently taking the pan from him. He lo0ked at me, surprised, still shirtless in mesh shorts.

"I'd prefer not to eat your cooking today," I told him bluntly. He glared at me and I smiled blandly at him as I shook the pan to move the eggs. I gestured around with my free hand. "Just smell it," I said. He sighed.

"You're a pain in the ass in the morning," he informed me, standing up as I sat in his place. I yawned.

"Yup," I said simply. Shaking his head, he disappeared to change as I salvaged as much as I could of his eggs.

When we were done closing up our campsite, we grabbed our bikes and left the shelter of the boulder, gasping once again as the sea wind hit us. But it was beautiful too. Boats scattered across the cheerful morning horizon and the dock maze was occupied by everyone from businesslike fisherman to battling trainers to picnicking families. The sun's reflection made the waves glow and our shadows reach the sand where people bathed in its light or swam in the water. Jack had already mounted his bike.

"Come on," he said, resettling his bag. Looking wistfully at the sea, I stepped onto my right pedal and pushed off the ground with my left foot, getting momentum before throwing my leg over to start pedaling after Jack. We hit the wood with repetitive audible thwacks. Jack laughed as I yelped in surprise, my voice stuttering. Spark clapped happily in his basket. Jack had already warned me to keep my egg in my bag. After ten minutes, my butt hurt like no other. When I spoke up to Jack, he only laughed and kept going. Spark handed me a pebble that was in the basket and I quickly threw it at Jack, who almost hit someone turning around to glare at me. At about one PM, we were halfway through the dock maze, which was at least twenty miles long. Jack pulled us onto one of the many tiny islands that were connected by the maze.

I gingerly got off my bike, wincing in pain before I flopped to the ground. Jack laughed again as he settled down in dignity and opened his pack for food.

"You're awful," I groaned as he tossed a pre-made sandwich onto my stomach. He shook his head and opened his own sandwich. I sat up slowly and bit into mine, which Jack had made this morning. I hid a face of disgust at his unlikely combination of peanut butter and spicy Figy berries. He caught it, however.

"Uncultured brute," he said primly, his own sandwich already obliterated. I rolled my eyes and threw my sandwich to him, which he immediately started eating. Ignoring the teenage boy, I stole a small role of bread and an apple from his bag and finished it off, sharing with Spark. When we finished, we set off down the miserable docks. We reached the bottom of the maze around four o' clock, and when we found ourselves in one of our normal routes, I was surprised to notice that I missed it. The salty air reminded me of home, and the various Pokémon we'd seen were pretty cool too. _Home, _I thought sadly, working to keep up with Jack. Spark chirped at me and I smiled. _Home would be soon, _I realized. And maybe going back wouldn't be that big of a disaster. Maybe my family wouldn't scare Jack into leaving forever. I shuddered at the thought and pedaled faster.

We passed route 13, and were halfway through 14 when Jack shouted about a town ahead. A little further on, we saw a huge sign that read 'Stone Town'. A banner hung from the big wooden marquee reading 'Annual Evolution Festival, June 25-26!' Several Pokémon were printed at the bottom, a ninetails, a poliwrath, a raichu, a golem and a vaporeon, flareon and jolteon. Jack was smiling. I turned to him.

"Did you-" I began suspiciously.

"Coincidence," he assured me. "Though the town isn't." His smile grew. "Come on, kid. Let's find a nice place to stay."

**AN:**

**Well, it seems a day and a half long indefinite hiatus has done me good. If you want to call this chapter good, of course. On the other hand, it is the first of many that has actually been edited. I hope you didn't hate it.**

**Luffles,**

**The Sherberty Lemon**


	14. Rocks and Stones

'**Sup guys? Rather quick update, especially compared to some of my others. I'm reworking the beginning of the sequel, as promised, and I'm pretty pleased with it, though I may change the plot majorly. I'm still deciding. Um, little factlet about Stone Town, it's featured in an early episode of Pokémon (I only remember it because of my fascination with eevees). It's between the gang's trip to Fuchsia from Lavender. I don't even know if there is a dock maze in the show, but there is in Leaf Green/Fire Red. If you haven't guessed, I'm using the map in the beginning of the guide book to plan the story. In the episode, it does feature the battling eevee brothers, and that's the name of the episode. I think that's all.**

**In other news, I'm rather happy with this chapter. Jack and Ari do some real FRIENDLY bonding, which is nice. They just act like teenagers again. As to you pervs who keep asking for them to hook up, keep in mind that they've only known each other for about two weeks! Be patient, my friends, but I'll remind you that nothing happens until close to the end. Sorry guys, I just like messing you around ;D This chapter is beta'd by Madwoman, so thank her for the absence of… Overall suckiness. Reviews are still loved.**

Chapter Fourteen: Rocks and Stones

"Hurry up, Ari, I'm ready for some real food!" Jack yelled to me. He'd found a small motel and had somehow pulled up the cash to pay for a room for the two days we would be staying in Stone Town.

Stone Town? Every trainer who's ever wanted an eevee or one of its evolutions has heard of Stone Town. A tiny mountain lay in the forest just behind the town. Evolutionary stones were pulled from it by the bucket load, and the town's trainers and occupants were known for having Pokémon that evolved by stones. In fact, the owner of the company that mined the mountain had four sons, the oldest of which were triplets known as the Battling Eevee Brothers. They traveled Kanto with their vaporeon, flareon and jolteon and won competitions and battles wherever they went.

"I take that as an insult to my cooking!" I shouted back from the small bathroom we shared. I was drying off Saffron after a quick bath, Stella licking herself after her own bath in the corner. I heard a groan from the room and grinned, bundling Saffron up in the towel and leaving the room, Spark (who I hadn't trusted around water) on my heels. Jack raised a brow at the eevee, whose volume was about double her normal. I grinned and dropped Saffron on my bed (close to the heater) and she promptly curled up and went to sleep. I beckoned to Spark, who scrambled up my leg and onto my shoulder. Jack was shifting from foot to foot in front of the door. I rolled my eyes and gestured for him to leave and followed him like an exasperated mother with her three year old. By the time I'd reached the second floor (we were on the third), Jack had already gotten us a table in the tiny restaurant downstairs. By the time I sat down across from him, the waiter had taken our drink and appetizer orders from the impatient fifteen year old. I stared at him.

"You need a leash," I told him, awed. He stared at me, foot bouncing with nervous energy under the table.

"Look, I don't know about you," he began, pointing a finger at me, "But I have to keep my strength up." He looked me over. "You barely eat anyway," he scoffed. I simply continued to stare and smile blandly. "It's like… It's like all you need is an apple to keep up your tiny body," he murmured. I raised my brows.

"Shall I take that as a compliment?" I inquired as a Mountain Dew was left in front of me. I managed to pick a crust from the basket of bread for Spark and I before Jack tore into it. He shrugged, mouth full. "Jack," I said, aggravated, popping a piece of bread into Spark's mouth. "The reason I eat so little is because I eat slowly," I informed him, chewing on my piece of bread. He appeared to chew less vigorously, though you can never be sure with Jack. "It's a digestive thing," I explained. "Your body doesn't tell you you're full until ten minutes later. That way, if you eat slowly, you'll actually have the right amount to eat," I told him, grabbing the last slice of bread before he could. He gave me an affronted look. "Jack, you must have eaten an entire loaf in one minute flat," I told him. He crossed his arms and glared at me, though he was still chewing. I shook my head. "Yes, I know you're a growing boy, but if you're fat, no girls will hit on you," I said simply. He flushed and I grinned. I loved making cool, collected Jack embarrassed. His Adam's apple bobbed significantly as he swallowed. "Christ," I muttered under my breath. That was a shit load of bread.

"Just being around you is enough effort to make me lose weight," he muttered under his breath. I smirked and flapped a hand demurely.

"Aww, you're such a sweetheart," I teased, fluttering my eyelashes. He raised an eyebrow at me and I rolled my eyes. "All right Jack, you're soup's on its way," I told him, seeing the waiter heading our way from behind Jack. He quickly turned around and watched its progress, fascinated. I rolled my eyes again.

"Jack!" I barked quietly. He jumped and turned back to me. "Ten minutes. You can only finish that after the ten minutes are up. All right?" I said, eyes watchful. He looked torn, and I praised whatever deity existed for Jack's permanent need to please the people around him. He sighed as the soup was placed in front of us, and the waiter eyed our empty breadbasket with distaste.

"Take it. Please," I drawled. He glanced between Jack and me, seeing the contemplative and slightly longing look on Jack's face. I could have sworn his hand was trembling on the spoon. The waiter left with a tiny shake of his head.

"Come on Jack, you can do it," I coaxed. Spark chirped encouragingly and Jack gave me a disparaging look.

"You know, I left home for a reason," he told me pointedly, thumping his spoon against the table impatiently. I smiled.

"And you started traveling with me for a reason." I replied, rubbing one of Spark's cheek pads with a finger. He groaned and took a huge spoonful of soup. I think he was just trying to spite me. A smile grew on my face as I watched him. He glared at me over his spoon.

"Conversation will make it go faster," I implored. He sighed again.

"God, it's like being married," he muttered mutinously. I laugh softly and eyed him in amusement.

"Like you would know," I retorted. He glared at me.

"When your parents are divorced, you _do _know," he grumbled. He didn't seem phased by the divorce at all though.

"Drama queen," I accused. He sneered at me. "So tell me about this festival, and why it's such a coincidence that it fell on my birthday," I drawled, chin in hand. I still didn't believe him. He glared at me again.

"I've no clue," he told me. "And it _is _a coincidence," he insisted. I propped my hands on my hips in the most imposing way I could while sitting down.

"Psht. Sure it is," I replied, unconvinced. "This journey has just been one coincidence after another," I reminded him, surreptitiously glancing at the clock behind Jack's head. He had six minutes left. "Hell, you're a coincidence," I added. He looked at me.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he inquired, actually dropping his spoon into the bowl.

"Well, you had an eevee egg, and I was looking for all the evolutions of eevee. You had an umbreon that could breed with my vaporeon, and I was _still_ looking for all the evolutions of eevee," I reminded him.

"Maybe it's not a coincidence," he suggested vaguely. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Tell me you believe in all that cosmic karmic crap," I challenged. "Not crap as in crap, crap as in stuff," I corrected quickly, hoping I wouldn't offend him. He shrugged.

"No, not really. I'm just not adverse to the idea of people meeting for a reason," he said simple, picking up his utensil again. My heart pounded in my chest and I tried to quash the hope that was surely and dangerously growing. He was talking about us, about our seemingly accidental meeting, and about how maybe we met for a reason.

"Pansy," I grumbled half-heartedly. He noticed and smiled at me, that dazzling, sparkling smile of his. Damn, that bike ride had been more tiring than I'd realized. I took a deep breath then let it out slowly and drew patterns on the tablecloth with my finger, bouncing Spark absently in my other hand as we fell into silence. Finally, the spoon clinked into an empty bowl. I glanced at the clock again and smiled happily.

"Mazel tov, Jack, it's been eleven minutes," I congratulated. He smirked. "So you know nothing about this festival?" I asked him again. He shook his head.

"Never heard of it," he assured me. I pursed my lips and sighed.

"Oh well. Maybe I'll get a free stone out of it or something," I murmured. Jack nodded.

"There'll probably be beauty competitions, battles, contests," he suggested. I nodded, and then looked at Jack with newfound realization.

"Hey, what about you?" I asked him suddenly.

"What about me?" he replied uncertainly.

"Storm. Azure. Are you going to evolve them any time soon?" I asked curiously. He shrugged.

"I've had the opportunity," he said simply. I raised my eyebrows. He sighed and leaned forward to look at me. "Your very own Lt. Surge has incredibly powerful Pokémon. They're famous in the army, in Kanto, and even in other regions," he explained carefully. I nodded. I knew my own gym leader, whose raichu was the pride of our town.

"Surge's raichu is the strongest electric type in Kanto, to any trainers, gym leaders or even the elite four," he told me carefully. I nodded again. "Unfortunately for Surge, that raichu has one weakness, and the reason for that is because Surge evolved him immediately after catching him as a pikachu." I furrowed my brow at him. "Pokémon who evolve by stones are different from level up evolutionaries," he continued. "Pokémon that evolve by stones can be evolved any time, even from right when hatched out of the egg," he said, fiddling with the straw in his Coke. "However, the power gained by evolution comes at a price." He told me. I raised my eyebrows. "There's usually some skill, some powerful attack, that their evolutionary form doesn't learn, or doesn't gain as well as the pre-evolution," he explained. Before I could ask my question, Jack hailed our waiter with a call of 'Jon!" The man came over and we ordered (Jack, with his infallible burger and fries, me with chicken parmesan)

"So what does pikachu have that raichu doesn't?" I asked.

"Speed," he said simply. "Lt. Surge and his raichu have one downfall, and that's speed." I watched him closely.

"How do you know?" I asked him. If everyone knew that, Pokémon wouldn't be carted out of the Vermillion gym by the load, and the Nurse Joy I knew best wouldn't be one of the busiest in Kanto. Jack shrugged.

"TV, battler's accounts, magazine articles. I was in Vermillion when I was really young, and I remember a little of the battle I saw then," he explained. I nodded slowly.

"So what about Azure will change if he were to evolve?" I inquired, intrigued by the subject. Jack nodded and took a sip of his Coke.

"I assume that very soon he's going to learn body slam," he said slowly. He glanced up at me. "And you know that poliwrath is not only a water type, but fighting as well, right?" he asked. I shook my head and he nodded. "That's why poliwhirl will learn hydro pump, but poliwrath won't," he said. My eyes widened.

"Whoa, I never knew that," I muttered. Jack nodded.

"Also, right before hydro pump, poliwhirl learns a move called belly drum. It cuts half of its hit points, but its attack is raised to its full potential. Poliwrath can learn attacks like brick break and return from TMs, and moves like seismic toss, double edge, mega kick and mega punch from move tutors," he continued. "Those are very powerful moves, but with belly drum, it's even more so." He finished. I was in awe, and not just because of the information.

"How do you know all this?" I asked, amazed. He grinned sheepishly.

"Whenever I catch a new Pokémon, I research everything I can about it," he explained. "I've got a little notebook for random crap like that, and I write down when a Pokémon will learn a move or some such," he explained.

"Sounds useful," I commented. "I'd probably use it if I was trying to catch more than one Pokémon," I mused. Jack laughed. "So Azure's got a way to go then," I offered. Jack nodded. "Storm?" I inquired. Jack sighed.

"Storm is an interesting case," he murmured. I raised my eyebrows and sipped my Mountain Dew. "Growlithes and arcanines learn all the same level moves, tutor moves and TM moves, save exetremespeed." Jack told me. "However, exetremespeed is the last move an arcanine will learn, and growlithe doesn't learn it at all." Jack told me.

"So as long as you evolve it, it will learn exetremespeed?" I inquired. Jack pursed his lips.

"I'm sorry, I said that wrong." I furrowed my brows. "If you were to take a growlithe, newly hatched from an egg, and evolve it immediately, it wouldn't learn a single move until exetremespeed, at level forty-nine," he corrected himself. I winced and he nodded. "Unfortunately, the growlithe also learns flamethrower at level forty nine," he added. I thought for a moment.

"Interesting dilemma," I mused. Jack nodded.

"Apparently though, if I find the right guy and give him the right items, he can teach a Pokémon any move on its list," he replied. I raised my brows.

"Intriguing," I murmured. He smiled and the waiter left our food in front of us. Jack grabbed at his burger, but his eyes slowly rose to meet mine. I was staring at him, expressionless. He sighed and took a smaller bite than usual. I smiled brightly at him. He glowered at me, but quickly stopped, falling into his own smile.

"I can't be angry at you when you smile like that," he teased after chewing and swallowing. My face was hot and my heart sped up. I looked down and cut into my chicken.

"Pansy," I muttered, for lack of a better insult. He smiled again.

---------

One of the features of the evolution festival was entrance into Evolution Mountain, for only five bucks, and not just for the festival, the entire week. If you found any stones, you had to pay one dollar for every one you kept. Pretty cheap, considering. That next morning, after a quick breakfast from our own stores, we left the hotel and trekked through the town for about half an hour before we found the complimentary festival trolley service that would take us to the mountain. Interestingly enough, it wasn't a trolley, more of a fleet of beat up pick-up trucks. Jack and I climbed into an old white one, bumping uncomfortably up the ragged road with the few other tourists who'd decided to get up early. Jack and I found ourselves in conversation with a young married couple, from Stone Town, who had commented on my pichu. Spark had escaped my careful hold to scramble around the bed of the truck, spooking a few inhabitants. Thankfully, the husband had caught him by the tail and tossed him back to me.

"I'm sorry," I said with a smile. "He does that all the time." He grinned at me.

"Don't worry, so do mine," his wife replied. "He's used to it," she added.

"You have more than one?" Jack asked with interest. The woman nodded.

"I'm a coordinator, and I have lots of Pokémon that are the same breed, to utilize different skills, aspects and attacks," she explained.

"I'm a breeder," the husband said, easily. "I make sure they don't destroy the house," he joked. Jack and I grinned.

"I know the feeling," Jack told him seriously. I hit him gently as the husband and wife laughed.

"So where are you two from?" asked the woman curiously.

"Pewter City," Jack said.

"Vermillion," I piped up. The woman smiled.

"I was born in Vermillion. Isn't it beautiful?" she asked me. I nodded enthusiastically.

"It's lovely," I replied.

"So what are you two doing?" the husband. "Here for the festival, or just traveling?" he inquired.

"I'm a trainer," Jack told them. "Ari's a coordinator."

"I'm trying to catch all of eevee's evolutions, so Jack thought it was only right to bring me here," I explained. They smiled.

"How sweet," the woman said calmly, bringing the slightest blush to Jack's face. "How far along are you?" she asked. I held up my egg, which had been hidden by my drawn up legs. The husband's eyes widened and I held it out to him. As a breeder, he'd be interested in them.

"I've got the egg, one eevee, an espeon and a vaporeon," I told them as the husband looked in wonder at the egg. The woman nodded and smiled.

"Sounds like it's going well," she remarked. I grinned.

"I never thought I'd get this far this fast," I admitted. The truck bumped to a halt, making us all jump. The husband handed the egg back to me as the driver got out and opened the flatbed for us. Jack jumped out first, the husband with him. Jack held out a hand and I took it, egg cradled against my chest, letting him help me down. The husband did the same for his wife and I watched as she gave him a quick kiss. The descended down the path into the mountain, hand in hand, after waving to us. I pursed my lips as I followed Jack's long strides. Jack noted my silence after we stepped into the cave.

"All right?" he asked me, looking around in the gloom. Ahead, a guide was handing out maps and small, portable lamps.

"Sure," I replied, making sure Spark was still on my head. He'd be easy to lose in the cave. I took the light, Jack took the map and we passed into one of the three tunnels off of the entrance chamber. I noticed a particular lack of Pokémon and voiced my thought to Jack, forgetting about the couple.

"You think they like sticking around, what with the miners trooping in and out with their lanterns and such?" he inquired, looking around the tunnel. "I'll assume there are some of the hardier ones down deep in the mountain, digletts and such." I nodded and moved the lantern, looking at the blue-grey walls. Peering closely at one walls, I noted a peculiarly well-shaped hole.

"Think a stone was there?" I asked Jack, who was looking over me shoulder. He traced a finger down the indent and nodded.

"Probably."

"What do you know about mining stones?" I queried curiously as we continued down the hall. Jack was a seemingly endless stream of knowledge. I'd have certainly been lost without him.

"For a kid from Pewter City, not much," he admitted with a crooked smile. I smiled up at him. "There's nothing to trace the stones with, no magic or shit like that," he told me distractedly as we passed into another small antechamber, which lead into three more tunnels. Jack took the pen the guide had also given him and marked where we were as we chose the tunnel on the right. "Pokémon can't sense them, at least not that they know of, but clefairys have been known to show up in places where moon stones are common," he finished.

"So they just dig blindly?" I asked, intrigued. Jack shrugged.

"I guess. They're rock, so metal detectors can't find them," he added.

"What _are _they exactly?" We found ourselves in a giant room, sculpted at least thirty feet high. The ground was treacherous now, the curiously shaped holes indicating that the hall had been littered with the prized stones.

"No clue," Jack replied. "When I first caught Storm, I tried to do some research, but didn't find much," he said. I drifted over to the wall on the left, running my hand over the smooth wall. Cracks races jagged hair-thin lines over the bluish surface, and the missing stones were surprisingly less common than on the floor. "People who have them are reluctant to have them researched and dissected, so scientists have to spend even more money going out and mining for them," Jack murmured from behind me. I hadn't noticed his approach and his breath on my ear sent shivers down my spine.

"Can I borrow your pichu?" he inquired mildly. I glanced up at him, our faces perilously close for a moment. I slid back slightly, happy I could actually control my body that close to him. I looked up at him shrewdly.

"For what?" I asked him suspiciously. Jack smiled.

"Watch," he ordered. He held out his hand and the eager-to-please Spark jumped onto his palm. "Flash," he whispered. Spark blinked and then squeezed his eyes shut, giving the appearance of complete concentration. Then, light sprang from his cheeks to fill the room. Spark blinked and wobbled dizzily on Jack's hand. Jack cradled him in his palm as I stared at him in awe.

"I thought that was an HM move!" I protested. Jack smiled.

"It's my experience that they know moves like that just to get through life," he explained. I glanced at Spark, who was trying to sit up. I glared at Jack.

"He wasn't ready for that," I told him reproachfully. Jack shrugged and draped the tired Pokémon over his shoulder. I watched as he took the small creature to examine the far wall. I hmphed quietly, then sighed. Well, at least now Spark would be useful. I sighed and ran my hands over the wall absently. First I thought about Jack as we explored the great cavern. He was a genius at sending mixed messages (though they were probably accidental, the reasonable part of my mind pointed out), but I assumed that's what all teenaged boys did. My ponderings turned to home. I would be back soon, by tomorrow evening at the latest. I would see my friends again, and Sam. I still couldn't believe it had been less than two weeks. I felt world weary and traveled. No doubt being home again would humble me quickly. I smiled at the thought and followed a curious crack in the wall, noting one of the peculiar indents that meant a stone had been harvested. The crack must have been caused when a miner picked the stone out with a pickaxe.

I continued onwards until I found a little pit in the wall. Various holes in the wall told me that a lot of stones had been found in this area, so I held my lamp up curiously. The pit went about two yards deep. The fire flicked across something near the back on the sidewall, making a brief glitter. Interest piqued, I took another step, letting the full light shine over it. It was the edge of a fire stone, which I only knew from pictures. I smiled gleefully and trotted into the pit. I set my lamp down and pried at it with my fingers. I frowned- the edge was out, but it still deeply embedded, perpendicular to the rock wall. I braced my feet against the curve where the wall met the floor and gripped it hard, surprised that I could hold it so well. I set my back and pulled as hard as I could. After several seconds it burst free, sending me tumbling back. I screamed and my back slammed the other wall. Jack whipped around as loose pieces of gravel fell from the ceiling.

"Ari!" he yelled. Gravel turned into stones, larger and larger. The very pit was trembling. I struggled to get to my feet but my back was one large ache and I'd scraped my knee on falling to the floor. Jack ran towards me.

"Jack!" I yelled hopelessly. A rock fell, just missing my head. I screamed again as the front of the pit collapsed. Complete darkness- my lamp had fallen and shattered. I cried out again and began to sob. I could barely hear Jack's voice as he yelled my name. Then, I realized there was a tiny bit of light to be seen, a small hole right up against the wall. Suddenly, the light was blocked as Jack thrust a hand through. I reached up and grabbed his fingers as I cried heavily.

"I'm getting you out. Be patient. I'll be back!" he shouted, squeezing my fingers. He disappeared and I whimpered quietly against the wall. He was gone.

**Hahaha, major cliffie. Sucks for you guys. But I love you. I started high school yesterday, so it's going to be a bit of time before I get the next chapter up. Terrible I know. So sorry.**

**Love,**

**The Sherberty Lemon**


	15. Changes

**Wow. High school sucks **_**baaaaaalls.**_** I want to shoot myself. I drew the short straw though. Taking two languages instead of one and I have no study halls, not to mention ultimate Frisbee, a job, homework, sleep, tech for my school show and writing another personal story that my friends keep bothering me. Bad teachers, no friends in my classes, you know. Oooh, but who's psyched for Heroes and House this week?! I AM!! All right, here's your chapter.**

Sobs wracked my body as I shuddered and gasped in the darkness. More stones had fallen that I hadn't noticed. One trapped my leg, while the rest were simply all around me, keeping me in one place. Considering my current situation, I was actually quite lucky. Even my egg was unhurt. I calmed down slightly: like with my bouts of love, logic kept me reasonably grounded (excuse the pun). I leaned forward, cursing my lack of flexibility as the last tears dripped from my face. The rock on my ankle was actually quite painful, making it turn so the side of my foot was flat one the ground. I couldn't reach it, however. Drawing my remaining knee up to my chest, I tried to breath deeply, to calm myself.

It wasn't going as well as I would have hoped. A feeling of despair and hopelessness settled over me. Loneliness because I couldn't release any of my Pokémon for lack of space, and an overwhelming paranoid sense that Jack wasn't going to come back. Tears began to build up behind my eyes again as I hid my face in my knee. I had no idea how long I was trapped in the darkness, my only light fading as Spark's flash dissolved. Jack would later tell me it was only ten minutes. Suddenly, I heard footsteps, saw light and looked up.

"Ari?" it was Jack. "Are you all right?" he murmured. His face blocked the scant light that had appeared, but I couldn't make out his features.

"Jack?" I whispered, voice trembling, to my disgust.

"We're going to get you out," he told me, voice reassuring. "Are you hurt?" he asked.

"I'm trapped in a god damn hole in a wall," I retorted, suddenly grumpy. "There's a rock on my foot, my back hurts like a bitch and it's dark," I continued. I heard snorts of laughter from the workers that were with Jack. Jack sighed, but I heard a smile in his voice.

"That's my girl," he said quietly. The light appeared again, then was covered by another face.

"Arabel?" came a deep voice. I looked up, suddenly polite again.

"Yes?" I said meekly.

"I'm Kevin. I'm one of the head miners. We're going to pull you out slowly, rock by rock." He told me calmingly. "We have to start at the top to make sure there are no more collapses. If something looks unsteady, _tell us._" He directed. I nodded.

"All right," I whispered.

The digging and removing took a little more than an hour. If anything, I was bored. Bored and in pain did not bode well for Jack, as I'd probably be in a terrible mood when I left the cave. But as the rock wall in front of me slowly disappeared, I realized that no matter how much I wanted to, I couldn't be angry with Jack. Grumpy and irritable I could do, but anger (at least at this point) was beyond my powers. I sighed, annoyed again with this stupid emotion people called love. Things used to be simple. At some point, Spark had escaped Jack's hold and run into my hollow, where I'd returned him to his ball. Finally, the wall was only a foot and a half high, and I'd been having easy conversations with the workers for the last half hour. Jack had been strangely silent, working on his corner of he wall. The tallest miner stepped carefully over the wall and into my hollow, hefting the big rock with a grunt. He handed it off to one of his mates before looking at me questioningly. I nodded, trusting, and let him gently pick me up. When he stepped over the wall with me, his fellows were congratulating each other on a job well done. My miner looked at me.

"Can you stand?" he inquired. I glanced at my ankle, bruised and puffy, still painful. I couldn't. I looked at Jack, leaning on his pick and watching me.

"Yeah," I replied. The miner nodded and set me gently on my feet. I felt it immediately and felt the blood rush from my head. The worker was still watching me, ready to call my bluff. Instead I set my mind on Jack and slowly limped towards him. Two feet away, I flung myself into his torso, cradling my egg to my chest. To my shame, tears welled up in my eyes and rolled down my cheeks as he wrapped his arms around me. I cried for a long time into Jack's chest, just relieved to be out and free again. The severe attraction to Jack was just a bonus.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into my ear. I shook my head, still crying against his shirt. I heard someone approach.

"Will you be pressing charges?" Kevin asked somberly. Jack shook his head.

"Thank you for the help," he murmured firmly. The miners disappeared slowly as Jack held me. Finally, he pulled away, smiling crookedly at me.

"Look, now you've gone and got my shirt all wet," he teased. I blushed and looked away. "You ready to head out?" he asked me. I looked up at him, wiping my eyes.

"You don't want to explore more?" I queried. "Don't stop just because-" he cut me off, a hand over my lips.

"You obviously shouldn't be walking," he informed me. I blushed again at my own stubbornness. He smiled. "Come on. Back to the hotel," he ordered firmly. I smiled back at him when something occurred to me.

"Hold on," I said, pivoting on my good foot and taking a step towards the pit where I'd been trapped, face set. Sweat poured down my cheeks as I stepped wrong, sending what felt like a hammer blow into my ankle. I was deciding how to make my next step when Jack moved in front of me and crouched slightly, looking over his shoulder at me.

"What?" I said, confused. His hands came out behind him.

"Get on," he told me. I blinked warily and limped forward. I put my egg on the ground and carefully wrapped my arms around his neck, shoving off the ground with my good leg. Jack caught my thighs and I leaned over his shoulder. "Where to?" he asked me.

"The pit," I said with a sigh, disgusted at my own inability to move. I hated depending on people. Jack trotted forward and I bounced slightly, but he held my injured leg firmly. The fifteen year old carefully stepped over the barrier, stumbling a little. I braced my hands against the wall, stopping him.

"Thanks," he muttered. I nodded and searched the rubble from my high vantage point. Jack saw it first.

"Is that what caused the collapse?" he asked, pointing at a little glimmer on the floor. Heat fell on my cheeks again.

"Kind of," I admitted. "Grab it for me?" I queried sweetly. He grinned at me, catching my manipulative-girl voice, and bent down. With a little trouble, he grabbed it and stuffed it into his pocket. We exited the pit and Jack scooped up the egg, handing it to me so he could continue to hold my legs. "When I pulled back, it released unexpectedly and I slammed into the wall," I told Jack as we began making our way out of the cave again. "Then everything started to break." He nodded.

"I'm sorry," I added unnecessarily. Jack groaned.

"Oh shut up, would you?" he growled. Blushing, I buried my face in his neck, barely managing to stop the second apology from escaping my lips. He patted my leg gently as we emerged into the entrance chamber. The guide raised an eyebrow at us. Apparently he hadn't heard about the collapse.

"Find any stones?" he inquired cheerfully. Jack nodded.

"Fire stone," he told the guide. He looked at me. "Grab my wallet? It's in my back pocket," he instructed. Glad for the darkness that hid my blush, I steadied the egg and reached down, finding the pocket of his jeans. Why oh why would anyone put something in their back pocket, I wondered wildly as I tried to touch more cloth than body. I found the leather and yanked my hand out, giving it to the guide, who quickly straightened out a smirk. He pulled out the cash, gave the wallet back, wished us well and sent us on our way. I hid my eyes in Jack's neck, unused to the bright sunlight.

"Shit," Jack muttered, looking down. I managed a quick glance around.

"Tree?" I suggested. We could adjust to the light as we stood in the shade. Jack nodded and, squinting, made his way over to the tree. "Let me down," I ordered when we had arrived. He glanced at me sidelong, our noses almost touching. I had to use iron control to stop from shrinking back.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" he asked me, concerned. My heart hurt. He was so god damn nice sometimes. Every girl he'd ever met must have been attracted to him, I thought grumpily. I nodded.

"Steady me if you want, but I'm too heavy for you to hold me forever," I reminded him. In reality, the proximity was doing mad things to my nerves. I couldn't believe that being trapped in a stupid cave was doing this to me. Jack sighed and set me down very gently, almost gently enough to be annoying. I wasn't some delicate flower. I hugged my egg to my chest and, in a rare show of affection, Jack wrapped an arm around my shoulders as we leaned against the tree. I leaned slightly into him and pulled the fire stone from his pocket, looking at it curiously, letting the light flicker over it. I would rather become absorbed in the precious stone than in Jack. We heard a honk and looked up, glancing at each other.

"The truck must be back," Jack mused. "Come on," he said, easily scooping me up. I squeaked, surprised. I sighed and let my head flop back over his arm.

"Why does this happen so often?" I moaned. Jack laughed.

"Just be thankful you've got me around," he said with a smile. I glanced up at him, thinking.

"Well, if you remember, you were the reason you had to do it so much," I informed him tartly. He raised an eyebrow. "Well," I began, rubbing a thumb over the fire stone, "There was the time when you were taking me back from the Cerulean Pokémon Center. I wouldn't have been there to help solve the sickness if you hadn't needed to go to the center to fight your battle," I said thoughtfully. Jack had his stubborn face on. "If you hadn't called for a race, I wouldn't have hit that rock leaving Cerulean," I continued mercilessly. "Then you had to carry me out of the ball because _you_ won," I finished, eyeing him meaningfully.

"Ungrateful brat," he mumbled mutinously. I laughed as the driver from earlier nodded at us to get into the truck. With a glare, Jack gently tossed me into the truck bed, my injured ankle still in hand. I giggled as he scooted in next to me.

"You're too nice Jack," I told him, grinning. "You can't even be mean when I'm being mean to you!" I pointed out. He sighed and smiled, yanking the fire stone from my hand as I tossed it aimlessly. He could move pretty fast. He looked at me sidelong.

"It comes of having four sisters, who are not afraid to tattle on their big mean older brother," he informed me. "Of course they loved Gideon, so he had nothing to worry about," he added. I laughed.

"Poor Jack, overrun by all those little girls," He shook his head and leaned back into the side of the truck, smiling. Something occurred to me and I stifled a laugh. He glanced at me.

"What?" he asked suspiciously. I smiled sweetly up at him.

"You get to meet my friends on Tuesday," I taunted. He raised an eyebrow.

"Why's that so terrible?" he inquired. I smirked.

"Because they're all almost as weird as I am, and twice as excitable," I told him. He winced.

"Maybe I'll just hang with you're family," he muttered. I snorted.

"Go ahead. My dad'll just try to kill you," I warned. "Heads up for booby-traps in the house," I added. Jack laughed and the truck's engine revved, getting ready to set off down the hill with only one other passenger besides Jack and I. At that point, someone shouted for the driver to stop. He did, abruptly. Jack put a hand on my arms and another on my leg to stop me from getting hurt or losing my egg. I gave Jack a relieved smile, and he nodded back, slowly letting go. The couple Jack and I had conversed with earlier ran, breathless, to the truck and chatted quickly with the driver before climbing in across from us. Jack and I grinned as they fought to catch their breath.

"All right?" I teased. The woman giggled.

"Very good," she replied. She nodded to her husband, who pulled out a little cloth sack. Jack and I raised our eyebrows as he handed them to Jack. Jack opened the drawstring and dumped the contents into his hands. We gaped. Two leaf stones, two thunder stones and one water stone.

"Wow," I breathed. My mother had evolved Aquatrix, and I'd never seen a water stone before. I turned it over in my hand, in awe. It was like a glass rock filled with water and bubbles. But the liquid, if it was liquid, was absolutely still, like it was frozen. After a moment, I tore my gaze away and slipped it back into the silk, eyeing the thunder stone that Jack was playing with. It was a light green, reflecting and bouncing and scrambling and doing all sorts of things to the sunlight as we rode out of the shadow of the mountain. That was where a jolteon would come from. Jack, however, slipped the stones back into the bag and handed them back, pulling out our measly fire stone. I blushed, slightly. They'd found a goldmine, while I'd been stuck in a cave. The husband reached out immediately, and Jack handed it to him.

"That was what we were really looking for," he admitted distractedly. His wife nodded.

"He's raising a vulpix I'd love to evolve for a contest," she explained. Jack and I nodded.

"Are you going to use or sell the rest?" I inquired. She shrugged.

"I'm thinking of selling one of the thunder stones, but it's always good to have the rest around, just in case," she said. Jack and I nodded.

"Reasonable," I remarked. She nodded. She noticed my ankle and gaped.

"Oh dear, what happened?" she asked, aghast. I smiled.

"That's why we only got one," I told her. Jack snorted.

"Ari was in a two yard tunnel when the opening collapsed," he clarified. "A rock fell on her ankle." The woman nodded sympathetically.

"Poor kid," she murmured. I shrugged, never one for pity. The husband handed back the fire stone with a last glance.

"So where are you headed from here?" he inquired. Jack and I glanced at each other.

"The hotel. I guess we'll leave once my ankle's better," I mused. Jack nodded.

"We're on our way to Vermillion after this," he explained. The woman pursed her lips and glanced again at my ankle. I had the urge to draw it away from her gaze but held my leg still. She looked up to Jack, who had raised his eyebrows, and then to me. Her husband looked on in barely hidden amusement. She opened her mouth.

"She's going to call you a charity case. I'd suggest you just do as she says and you'll get a nice home cooked meal and your friend will get some ice," he murmured, nodding at me before she could say anything. The woman turned bright red as Jack and I chuckled.

"We'd be honored to go to your place, Mrs.…" he trailed off, looking at the woman, who had just lightly kicked her husband. She blushed again.

"Oh dear, my name's Bee, and this is Michael, Bee and Michael Berger," she introduced herself. Jack shook their hands, always formal. Little suck up.

"Jack," he replied. "And Ari," he added, gesturing to me. I gave a little wave. We continued to talk easily as we bumped along down on to the main road of Stone Town, littered with tourist shops, clothing stores and the like. To my embarrassment, Jack insisted on carrying me when we got out of the truck. I sighed in resignation as the three of them laughed and we walked down a block into the residential area of Stone Town. Their house was easily recognizable; a huge one that slightly resembled a farm at the end of the street, a cul-de-sac. A broad field was visible behind the house, and noises emanated from it. The two didn't seem embarrassed at all. When we arrived at the house, a quaint little cottage, Michael dragged Jack into the kitchen while Bee sat me down in the living room. Bee exited and returned with a kind of ACE bandage, with a pocket that held an icepack. She expertly wrapped it around my ankle and I raised a brow.

"I used to work at a Pokémon center when I was younger," she explained, making sure the pins were secured. "And I still heal my own Pokémon," she added. I nodded and grinned.

"Many a summer spent at the center?" I asked her, having done the same. She laughed.

"Mmhmm," she replied. She looked around and helped me to stand as the freezing made my skin tingle, but dulled the pain.

"You've made quite the catch," she teased me, implying Jack. Somehow, I didn't blush. I simply beamed at her.

"I'm working on it." I assured her. She laughed again and led me into the kitchen. Jack immediately scrutinized her work, but said nothing. I raised my eyebrows at him and smirked when his eyes met mine and he quickly turned away to help Michael, who was making lunch. Bee winked at me again as a vulpix came bounding into the room to plant his forepaws on Michael's thighs. Michael beamed and scratched the little Pokémon's head as Bee put my ankle onto another chair.

"That's the one," she commented, leaning against the granite countertops with crossed her arms. I let a hand dangle and rubbed my fingers together, making ticking sounds with my tongue. When nothing happened, I whistled. The vulpix looked attentively and I smiled: Nurse Joy had taught me a pitch that every Pokémon responded to. The vulpix trotted over to sniff my hand as Jack asked questions about the bouncy Pokémon. When he jumped into my lap, Bee smiled.

"You've got quite the hand with them," she told me. I smiled at her.

"Runs in the family," I explained as vulpix turned around a few times before settling on my thighs. Jack had heard.

"It might, but that's all her own," he corrected. I glared at him, but he didn't notice, back to work on something I couldn't see, muttering quietly to the older man. Bee raised an eyebrow at me and I stroked the vulpix's tails, hiding a smile of my own.

-------

It was 8 'o clock when we left the Berger's. My ankle was feeling a hell of a lot better, but I wasn't looking forward to riding up the dock maze tomorrow. But it was my birthday tomorrow, and I couldn't wait to visit my friends and Sam again. My kooky parents, not so much. Jack helped me up the stairs and ran a bath for me as I used the phone to call my parents.

"Hello?" my mom picked up.

"Mom?" I said.

"Ari?" she squeaked. I winced.

"Heeey…" I muttered.

"OH ARI! HOW ARE YOU?" she shouted. Prepared because I knew my mother (thankfully), the phone was already three inches from my ear.

"Fine mom," I replied tiredly. "Jack and I are coming to visit tomorrow," I told her, cringing. She yelped.

"Ari, omigod, I can't wait! We'll have a birthday dinner and invite everyone!" she squealed excitedly. My mom had been cool, collected, beautiful and strong in her gym leader days. Now she was just a frazzled old lady.

"Please don't," I moaned miserably. "Just the girls and you three," I added. She sighed: my mom loved parties. Specifically, she loved getting buzzed at parties.

"Fine," she grumbled. I could tell she was about to launch into something else, but I yawned exaggeratedly.

"Well, I'm going to head off to bed," I told her. "Long ride tomorrow. See you!" I hung up quickly as Jack left the bathroom. He nodded. His hand was clenching around something in his pocket and I was immediately intrigued, but I nodded and stood slowly. Making my way very carefully towards the bathroom. I put a hand on Jack's thick arm and looked up into his very green eyes.

"Thank you," I mumbled. He smiled.

"Come on, you need to get to sleep," he scolded. I sighed and did as told, waiting for the click of the door before stripping off my clothes and very gingerly finding my way into the steaming water. Ah, civilization, I thought with a smile, closing my eyes and putting a towel behind my head. Tomorrow would be a good birthday.

------

The next morning, I woke to loud breathing and grunts. Opening my eyes a crack, I finally learned how Jack Marcum made sure he looked so good. He was hanging from the bathroom door jam, doing pull ups in nothing but his boxers. I watched through half-lidded eyes, barely moving, as he dropped silently to the floor and began a set of push-up like exercises. It all made sense now, his and Lunus' ritual. He got up early (dawn, according to the sun slipping into our room) to train and went back to sleep, exhausted, so we could leave whenever we had to, and Lunus had to get him up after he was spent by exercise. I'd never heard him because he would always do it away from our camp. This boy just got more interesting every day.

He stood and stretched his arms to the ceiling, giving me an unrelenting view of his chest. I shrunk into my covers and tried to forget that sparkling image. Drifting off again, I felt him slip something glassy and smooth into my hand, his fingers resting on my palm just a little longer than necessary before he moved away, quiet as a cat, and went back to sleep. I slid my eyes open a crack and covered gasp. The object was leaf-shaped and light green, hard as a rock and glowing from the inside. It shone unmistakably from my palm, the lightning practically sparking from the inside. But where in the name of all things holy had he found a thunder stone?

I smiled lightly and curled my fingers around it. That was Jack for you. I thought of Jack's words the night before as I rubbed my thumb over it and decided then and there: If Jack was a coincidence, then it was the best damn coincidence in the world.

**A rather abrupt ending, I'll concede. This fluff shit is killing me, and I'm totally writing sequel scenes in my head during math class. Agh… Um… I noticed a lack of reviews recently, and a little encouragement would be nice. But I love you guys.**

**PS. We hit 100 pages! I'm currently on page 107, single spaced, size 12, font Skia. Hooray!**


	16. Home

Three hours later, I was awake again. I rolled over and was surprised to see an absence of Jack, but the sound of the shower answered me. I sighed and then smiled, feeling my thunder stone. I rubbed it gently as I stood, testing my ankle. The swelling had gone down and I could put weight on it. I dug my last set of clean clothes from my bag, the clothes I'd left in. I slid on the green tank top and the brown skirt and sat in front of the mirror over the desk. My hair was full and wavy, thanks to an experimental thick braid the night before. I looked different, and it wasn't just the tan on my pale skin or the tiny stud in my nose. I was more… Radiant. Worldly. _Happy._

Just then, the door opened, revealing a fully clothed Jack. The smell of his body soap assaulted me from the misty room and I spun into its sweet, thick scent as I bolted out of the chair with a squeal. Wrapping my arms around his hard torso, I buried my face in his chest as he laughed warmly, hugging me back. I stood back and beamed at him.

"How did you get it?" I asked, incredulous. He only smiled. To my surprise, he gathered me into his arms and dumped me on the bed again and lifted my leg. I groaned as he examined my ankle and I held the cloth of my skirt in place. When he was satisfied, he let it drop gently.

"Happy birthday. I found an extra fire stone while you were being dug out," he explained. "I gave the guide the extra when you weren't looking," he added with a grin. I flushed. "Then I traded the fire stone to Michael after dinner for the thunder stone," he finished. I shook my head.

"How do you do things like this?" I asked incredulously. He cocked is head in confusion.

"Like what?" he asked. I studied his face. He actually didn't get it. He didn't get that he was the perfect gentleman, that no guy would do this for a girl he considered just a friend, a girl he'd known for _two weeks._ I shook my head.

"Nothing," I hummed, pulling on socks and gingerly slipping on my shoes. I tried to sling my bag over my shoulder, but Jack took it from me and put it over his own, crossing with his own strap over his chest. I huffed as I collected my egg, but he wore his no-nonsense face. Anything I said at this point would just be a waste of breath. Still he insisted on helping me down the stairs, forcing me to balance on his arm.

"I'm not a god damn invalid," I grumbled as I limped down the stairs. I _could_ have gone down alone and carried my bag, but it would have been harder and possibly painful. Not like I was going to tell Jack that.

"Just be quiet and be thankful I'm letting you ride," he replied with the irritating calm of his. I growled under my breath and watched suspiciously as he paid the bill. My eyes widened. Where the hell did he get that kind of money? He caught my expression as we left and deftly covered my mouth with hands already full.

"Ask me no questions and I tell you no lies," he warned. I groaned.

"You're ridiculous!" I hissed. He smiled.

"That's what I like to hear," he said calmly. I glared at him under the brim of my hat as I settled my egg in my basket, released Spark and mounted my bike. Jack watched me unabashedly and I went slowly: I would not lose my dignity by being forced to ride on Sky or something. When he was satisfied, he mounted his own bike and I hissed in annoyance when he struggled with the two bags.

"You look like an idiot anyway," I informed him tartly. He glared at me. I got off of my bike and took the bag before he could stop me. Mounting my bike again, I told him loftily,

"You may be _one _year older than me, but I'm still my own person, who _doesn't _need a babysitter." He raised a challenging eyebrow.

"Perhaps, but that doesn't mean you're the best person to look out for yourself," he informed me. I stared at him as he pulled away and towards the main road.

"Cocky jerk," I grumbled furiously, knowing he was right. I followed him onto the sidewalk. "I hate you!" I called as I struggled to keep my ankle straight on the pedals.

"I know!" he replied loudly. I sighed. God damn this kid.

------

The dock maze was hell. As expected. My bum and ankle protested to a degree that would have put 'mild' to shame. I said nothing and simply glared at Jack when he appraised me, and the perspiration beading my face, and my barely audible moans of pain. I hated my god damned dignity sometimes. We stopped at the same island we'd stopped at two days previous. Jack had bought us sandwiches (normal ones) on the way out of town. I lowered myself onto the ground with my egg and accepted lunch without looking at him. I would not, _could _not ask him for help, but this terribly tiny, miniscule, in fact, part of me wanted him to notice my pain and force me to ride with Sky. I quashed that part, knowing the second I showed anything, he would see it. As it was, he took my Pokéballs out of my bag while I was distracted and called Aquatrix to cover my ankle with a thin layer of ice. I cried out in pain.

"You bastard!" I shouted miserably, clutching at my knee. Aquatrix glanced from me to Jack, sided with the fifteen year old (traitorous Pokémon) and curled up against my side as Jack held my ankle slightly elevated.

"Hey," he shot back after swallowing his bite of sandwich. "You wanted to ride today, and carry your bag. You knew we were doing the dock maze," he reminded me. Tears trembled in my eyes.

"If you hadn't freaking frozen my leg, I'd be just fine!" I protested. The ice hurt, definitely. I would never admit that it was numbing the ferocious pain from the joint. To my disgust, I felt the tears leak from my eyes. Before I could swipe them away, Jack reached over and did it for me, gently, with one finger. I looked away, my thin leg still shivering. He didn't mind my lack of eye contact and rubbed my shin gently, warming the limb.

"Are you sure you don't want to ride with Sky?" he murmured gently, changing tactics as his hand moved over my leg. I shrugged, my concession. If I had one fatal flaw (perhaps not so fatal, actually), it was my pride. I hated depending and I hated needing, and I didn't deal with it so easily. I also hated help, always thinking I could do something on my own. Ok, so maybe it was pride _and _stubbornness. Aquatrix nudged my other thigh with her cold nose. I looked at her and she gestured to the sandwich. I sighed and took a small bite, still avoiding Jack's eyes. It appeared I was going to be cared for whether I wanted it or not. There was a silence that gradually faded to comfortable while he finished his lunch and rubbed my leg. I woke from my reverie when I felt his warm hand on my upper knee. He had shifted next to me, massaging and warming my calf. Aquatrix watched unblinkingly as only she and I noticed Jack's hand absently moving from knee to thigh. He didn't even notice he was about to molest me. I covered a smile. Good old Jack.

"Jack," I said quietly, face straight. He glanced up at me, startled. He noticed his hand, yelped and scrambled back.

"Shit, shit, shit," he muttered. "You must think I'm a huge perv," he added fervently. "I'm really sorry, I wasn't paying attention-" it was only then that he realized I was laughing. He sighed. I held out my hands for him to pull me up. When I did, he watched me wobble until he was satisfied with my balance.

"You're so cute when you apologize," I teased. He sighed again and shook his head.

"I can't believe I did that again!" he mumbled morosely. I raised an eyebrow.

"Again?" I inquired interestedly. I didn't remember him doing that. He eyed me cautiously.

"If you don't remember, I'm not going to tell you," he told me firmly. I mounted my bike and put my ankle in a precarious position. I raised an eyebrow.

"Tell me and I'll fly," I taunted. He bit his lip, choosing his dignity or my pain. He called out the pigeot and swung me off the bike and onto her back.

"Before the ball, with your necklace," he told me, not looking as he folded up my bike. I thought back to the night and remembered with a smile. I chuckled.

"Since I know you weren't paying attention, it's actually sweeter than perverted," I told him, leaning on Sky. He snorted.

"Good to know." I grinned as he stored my bike in my bag and let Sky grasp it in her claws. "Try not to fly over the water," he instructed the Pokémon. "But you can do it if it's best. We'll be turning at the way house," he added. I watched interestedly as she trilled in understanding.

------

We arrived in beautiful seaside Vermillion at around four o' clock, and Jack signaled for Sky to spiral to the ground as we passed stopped at the Pokémon Center. He needed directions from here. He lifted me from her back, ignoring my protests, and recalled her. He sat on his bike and beckoned to me. I looked at him, brows furrowed, and he smiled.

"Handlebars. Come on," he prompted. I glanced at the thin iron pipe, untrusting. "Come on. When have I dropped you?" he reasoned, referring to any other time I'd been his responsibility. I bit my lip, looked at his calm, handsome face, and hobbled over, using a bench to hoist myself into place. I gripped the bars very tightly, wondering how Jack would ever ride a bike if I was in his line of vision.

"Don't worry, I did this with Jeanine all the time," he assured me. I remembered Jeanine was the name of his youngest sister. I was slightly comforted. "Where to?" he inquired. I pointed straight in front of us.

"Go to the intersection, turn left, and follow the road until I tell you to turn right," I instructed. He nodded and stood to pedal, pushing both of us. I bit my lip hard and leaned back into his chest. He leaned forward, keeping me in one place.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked him as we turned off the road.

"I don't really mind." He replied.

"My house is a ten minute walk from here," I said. He glared at me.

"You could have said that before," he retorted. I shrunk slightly.

"You didn't ask," I pointed out. He sighed.

"Why must you be so contrary?" he asked me in exasperation. "On second thought, don't answer that," he corrected himself when I opened my mouth. I grinned.

"Right," I told him, pointing to my familiar street. He nodded and turned, pumping the pedals. I directed him to our house and he warned me to wait until he stopped to hop off. When he stopped. I maneuvered myself off the bars, holding down my skirt. I resolved to pack more pants while I was home. I beckoned to him.

"Come on, we'll put it 'round back," I said. He nodded and I led him through the well-beaten path between my house and my neighbor's hedges. A whistling call greeted me and I beamed: my mother's lapras and I were good friends. Jack stopped short as the Pokémon dipped her head towards me but deigned to exit the water. I hobbled over and reached up to stroke her smooth neck, getting splashed with water as I did. I giggled.

-------

**Jack**

I've never seen a lapras up close. They're incredibly rare, and I only saw one once, in the Fuchsia City zoo. But to see Ari so comfortable with it was amazing. Something else surfaced in the pond and I gaped at the swampert. You had to look _really _hard in Hoenn for those. She only laughed and stroked its fin appreciatively. She turned to me, that big smile on her face.

"Come on, put it in the shed," she directed, pointing to a little wooden shack. "They key is under the squirtle figure," she added. There was a little porcelain squirtle next to the door. I wheeled my bike over and picked it up to find a nondescript key. I opened the door and pushed my bike in with several others. When I exited, locked the door and put the key away, I looked up to shrieks.

"Belle!" shouted a boy that could have been her double with shorter hair as he ran from the house. Belle. It meant beautiful didn't it? I didn't know if Ari had a meaning, but I smiled, resolving to call her Belle.

"Sam!" she yelped. I watched in amusement as he tackled her into a hug, the lapras holding her twin back by the shirt so he wouldn't knock her into the pond.

"Happy birthday!" she told him. He beamed at her.

"You too," he replied with a laugh. She pulled away and pointed to me. I walked obediently over as he eyed me cautiously. He was eight inches shorter than me, narrower and skinnier, but he still looked up at me like he was ready for a fight. Ari looked exasperated.

"Sam, my partner, Jack Marcum. Jack, my twin brother, Sam," she introduced us. I held out a hand and he shook it carefully, testing me.

"Nice to meet you," I said politely. I meant to make a good impression on her family.

"You too," he grumbled resignedly. Ari gave him the whack on the head she usually reserved for me.

"He hasn't molested me. Get over yourself," she growled. I hid a grin as I let his hand drop. He eyed her.

"How do I know you're not protecting him?" he shot back. I linked my hands behind my back.

"Have you been watching cop shows again?" she accused suspiciously. He reddened slightly. "Dumb ass," she grumbled. I coughed to cover a snort.

"Ari?" came a woman's voice. It was her mother, I remembered from my interesting phone call with her. "Ari, darling!" she gushed, running out to hug her daughter. She stopped short, with rather astounding balance, actually, her eyes riveted to me. I was interested to say that I was an inch taller than her.

"Mrs. Nightingale?" I asked in my suck-up voice. I held out a hand. "Jack Marcum," I added quickly. A shrewd smile grew on her lips. Ari looked desperately towards her house, wanting to hide inside, but she was afraid to leave me alone with her family.

"So _you're _Jack," she stated. I nodded and smiled. She shook my hand. "It's very nice to meet you. Call me Sara," she added. I nodded and our hands pulled away.

"Come on then, you can call the girls and we can have dinner ready in ten minutes," Sara prompted her daughter. Sam raced in ahead of us, his mother following, while Ari hung back.

"I left home to escape parental authority," she grumbled. She eyed me, blue eyes pretending not to spark with laughter. "I blame you for bringing me back," she added. I grinned and held out my arm. She balanced on it and we headed slowly inside. "At least they haven't noticed the ankle," she murmured. I glanced at her.

"Dad'll kill you if he finds out I got hurt while I was with you," she told me frankly. I winced.

"Your dad is really-"

"Yes." She interrupted coldly. Apparently. She limped up the two stairs and I followed her inside, looking interestedly at her mother's domain. From what Ari had told me, her mother now owned a restaurant and was a spectacular cook. Sure smelled like it. A pretty glass mobile of water Pokémon hung over one part of the counter. Pans littered the stove, simmering with steam coiling into the ceiling. I took a deep breath. So this was where Ari got it (she was a great cook, considering the meager ingredients we had at our disposal.) She hopped up on a stool and sighed deeply.

"It's good to be home," she murmured. I smiled.

"So no matter what, you do love your family and your home," I reminded her. She sneered. She gently got off of the stool and pulled it over to the videophone, hitting a speed dial number. An old woman appeared on the other end.

"Hi Grandmother Brown. How are you?" she asked politely. I leaned on the counter next to her, just out of view, and listened.

"Ari dear!" she said, surprised. "I thought you were off adventuring." Ari smiled.

"I was, but I'm back home for a visit," she replied.

"That's wonderful. Did you find anything interesting?" the woman asked.

"Oh yes. I've caught a pichu," The woman laughed.

"Willow will love her. Oh did you call for her?" she asked, startled. Ari laughed sweetly.

"Yes, but you know I don't mind talking to you," she said easily. Ari was a social genius, apparently. Underneath her scornful and sarcastic demeanor, she could have easily fit in at a high society party. From what I'd heard, her mother _was_ high society, and she'd probably needed enough tact for her and her twin.

"Don't try that with me, miss. I'll go get my granddaughter," the woman said, disappearing. Ari waited patiently, not looking at me. A girl's face appeared in the screen and she immediately shrieked. Ari yelped in surprise and fell off the stool. I shot out an arm to catch her and she groaned.

"What is it with you and saving me?" she grumbled, cheeks red. I only grinned and shifted to push her back onto her stool, careful of her ankle.

"Ohmygod ARI YOU'RE BACK!" the girl exclaimed.

"I am indeed," Ari murmured mutinously. I stifled a laugh.

"And who's that totally hot guy behind you?" she asked. I realized I was still in view and slid out, even as my eyebrows shot up. Ari looked like she was about to cry, her cheeks burning red with embarrassment, anger or both.

"Willow, shut up," the girl groaned. Willow, pretty with an angled face, green eyes and long blond hair, giggled. "He's my traveling partner," she added in a mumble. Her hand closed on my wrist as she talked, threatening that any noise I made would certainly be held against me. I grinned.

"Oh, you two are so cute together!" she exclaimed. Ari gritted her teeth.

"The one thing I hate about videophones is that I can't punch you!" she snarled. Willow only laughed again. "You're invited to dinner tonight," she added in a grumble.

"Oh that's right! Happy birthday, sweetie!" she said happily. Ari sighed, cheeks finally paling.

"Seven o' clock," she said firmly. "Bye Willow." She hung up quickly and turned to me quicker. "Not a word," she said, slowly, dangerously. I nodded obediently.

"Yes, Belle," I replied meekly, trying the name on my tongue. She turned back to the phone, then spun back towards me again.

"What did you call me?" she inquired, confused. I shrugged.

"Belle," I replied easily. She turned pink again, but I could tell she was slightly pleased.

"Don't call me that," she ordered, firm tone denying her expression.

"Why not?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. She let go of my wrist.

"It's all girly. It means beautiful and it's just stupid," she mumbled. I could have said so many things right then and there, but I decided against it.

"You let your brother call you Belle," I pointed out.

"Yes, but Sam is different." She answered.

"Lame," I remarked. She furrowed her brow. "That's not a reasonable response," I informed her.

"Then think harder, stupid," she growled. "He's my brother- you're not." She wasn't angry. I only waited, staring her down with crossed arms. She grumbled under her breath. "I hate you," she hissed. I smiled. "When we were young and we played pretend, I was the Princess, but he declared that Ari wasn't a princess name, so he called me Belle. Are you happy now?" she shot at me. I smiled calmingly.

"Very." I put a hand on her arm and she took a deep breath. As long as I got her off topic, I'd be able to call her Belle. It was a point of pride for me, a personal victory if you will. Unfortunately, tromping steps made me jerk away as her father skidded into the room. She shot me a warning glance, hopped off the stool and skipped to the tall man, who was striking with the twins' dark black hair and bright blue eyes, but he had darker skin and he was more built than Sam.

"Daddy!" she exclaimed, sounding for all the world like a five year old. However, he was not to be deterred, familiar eyes resting on me. She sighed when she realized her mission had failed and pulled away. "Dad, this is Jack Marcum, my partner," she murmured resignedly. I held out my hand.

"Very nice to meet you sir," I said politely. He gripped my hand. Hard.

"Are you protecting my daughter?" he asked immediately. So much for manners.

"Yes sir," I answered honestly. Ari kept her face and body still. He still hadn't let go of my hand.

"And do you have any intentions towards my daughter?" he asked. I didn't see that coming, I'll assure you. Ari looked furious.

"George!" came a shriek, Sara saving me from answering. He quickly released my (slightly purple) hand and turned guiltily towards the stairs.

"Er…" he began, to no one in particular.

"What did I tell you about interrogating him?" the former gym leader scolded, hand on her hip.

"Um," he attempted. Ari was both relieved and murderous. He scratched the back of his head. She rolled her eyes. "Look, I'm just having fun," he complained to his wife. Two sets of eyebrows went up, but Ari remained stoically vengeful. "You know the next time she brings a boy home she'll be able to defend herself and I won't get to play!" he told her. Ari crossed her arms over her chest.

"I can defend myself now, Dad," she informed him. "Especially against a big scary monster like you," she grumbled sarcastically. I hid a grin and her father turned apologetically to me.

"I'm sorry," he admitted. "I've always wanted to do that," I grinned.

"It's all right. At least you've gotten it off your chest." He laughed heartily and clapped me on the shoulder.

"You've picked a good one, sweetie," he informed his daughter, who turned pink. I kept my face carefully still.

"Go back upstairs," the girl ordered. He chuckled and did as she said. Sara turned to me and grinned apologetically.

"Welcome to the Nightingale family," she murmured. "I have to go finish getting ready. I'll see you soon." As she disappeared, I noticed she had the top part of her hair in a bun and was curling the lower layers. I blinked in surprise.

"She has that kind of effect on people," her daughter assured me. I grinned at her.

"No matter what you said, I still like your family," I told her. She rolled her eyes and limped back to the videophone.

"Good god, they've brainwashed you!" she grumbled. I only laughed.

-------

**Ari**

Dinner had gone surprisingly well. Jack had charmed my entire family and my friends (though the charming had reached a higher degree with my friends, who had all fallen in love with him by the end of the night.) No one had noticed my steadily healing ankle, and a swift kick to Kat's shin had stopped her squealing about my nose stud. Jack was asleep on the couch when I went to retrieve my clothes from the dryer the next morning. I smiled as Lunus chirped quietly at me, and beckoned him along. I didn't know the mysterious Pokémon well, but everyone was asleep, and company would be nice. By the time I left the laundry room with my basket of clothes, Jack was making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the kitchen, dressed still in his t-shirt and mesh shorts. We smiled at each other but said nothing as I continued upstairs to pack again.

When I was dressed anew in a red, lace-topped tank top, a white collared shirt, my grey vest and a black skirt, repacked with more practical clothes, I slid my feet into flip flops and returned downstairs. Jack was packed too, dressed in his Pewter City festival shirt and the pair of ripped and rugged jeans I'd met him in, and writing a note in my kitchen. The house was still asleep as I read over his shoulder a thank you note to my parents. I rolled my eyes. He was such a goody-goody sometimes. When he had taped it to the refrigerator, I gestured to the door. He shook his head.

"If you have an ACE bandage or something, grab that before we go," he whispered. That was a good idea. Dropping my bag, I returned upstairs and dug through our linen closet until I found one. I went to my room and bound it around my ankle. When I was walking towards the stairs again, my trashed looking mother poked her head out of her door.

"God, you wake up early." She mumbled. I grinned. "Good luck dear. Happy birthday." She handed me two tickets and I examined them, delighting in the gift. They were two any-day ferry tickets from Pallet Town to Cinnabar Island.

"Thanks mom," I whispered. She shook her head.

"Your welcome. I'll see you soon, and remember to call every now and then," she added. I smiled and hugged her gently. As I pulled away, she eyed me knowingly. "Nice nose ring," she added, disappearing into her room again. I gaped, then grinned. Sometimes, I could appreciate that woman. I made my way downstairs again and nodded at Jack, flashing the tickets. He raised his eyebrows and took one, reading it, then smiled. He looked up at me as we headed outside and he unlocked the shed.

"So," he began, retrieving his bike as I slid onto the one I'd unpacked the night before. "Pewter City?" he asked me. I smiled.

"Pewter City."


	17. Family

**Well, I'm back. I'm sorry. I'm getting back into things, and the story's progressing neatly. I'd say we're about halfway through. Thanks for sticking with me. I owe you guys. Hope you enjoy chapter 17.**

It took three days to reach Cerulean City, Jack taking us unbearably slow to help the healing of my ankle. Heading up the long route 6 out of Vermillion, we camped at the same lake we had the first time around, after beating Misty and leaving Cerulean. The second night was spent in an empty room in the Saffron Pokémon Center, and the last we camped just to the west of Cerulean City. My egg was becoming a little restless, shaking every so often, as if warning me to be ready. Jack was challenged to three battles along the way, and I was challenged to one. I learned that Aquatrix had an attack I hadn't known, haze, and Spark presented a gift for me in the form of doubleslap, a move Jack told me was an inherited trait from one of his parents. Storm had also learned flame wheel, and Azure got rain dance. In Saffron, I was informed of an upcoming contest in Viridian City, in exactly a week, Friday, July sixth.

The morning of the 30th, a Saturday, Jack and I set out walking from Cerulean's western front, equipped with a lantern each and rented bottles of water that we'd gotten from a roadside stall. We were headed through Mt. Moon and another shop on the other side would take back the rented items. My ankle was fully healed as we made our way over the hilly but broad road towards the entrance to the cave.

"So what's Mt. Moon like?" I asked Jack curiously as we picked our way past a large pothole.

"It's… Cave-y," he answered after a moment. I rolled my eyes.

"So helpful." I muttered. He grinned.

"It's a lot like Evolution Mountain," he told me, "But less humanized. Most of the caves are worn away from decades of Pokémon habitation," he explained. "The walls are rough and there's no marked path to get through, but they do have signs," he told me.

"Why do they make it so hostile?" I inquired, looking up at the looming structure, Spark on my hat doing the same.

"Because so many trainers start out from Pallet town where they can talk to Professor Oak and get their starter Pokémon, most head to Flint as the first gym leader." He answered. I blinked.

"Isn't there someone in Viridian?" I inquired, remembering it vaguely. He nodded.

"Yes. Giovanni is a very strong trainer, however. He won't actually see you unless you have the other seven badges from Kanto. He's a snob," the older boy told me. I snorted.

"Nice," I remarked. He smiled.

"Also, Victory Road, the route to the Elite Four, leads from Viridian, and the town is beautiful, so most trainers relax there before hitting the championship," he added. I nodded thoughtfully.

"So. Why is Mt. Moon so hostile?" I asked him again, hiding my smile. He sighed.

"God damn," he muttered. "Because," he began again, "Flint is the first gym leader, and because he uses rock types similar to those in Mt. Moon, the government see it as a good place for these new trainers to practice and gain some experience, as a kind of test. If they're not ready to make it through, they obviously aren't ready for Misty," he explained. I nodded slowly.

"That makes sense. But what if you're just an average traveler?" I inquired. He smiled.

"The shop we got these from is also a tour business," he began, holding up the lantern. "They have practiced guides that read markers on the walls and know the routes out," he told me. I thought for a moment.

"Seems like they've got everything covered," I murmured. He smiled.

"Kanto's been running smoothly like this for the last fifty or so years. The last major change was the reconstruction of the Celadon to Fuchsia bike path," he informed me. Why did Jack know every single thing known to mankind? However, we were standing in front of the gaping entrance to the cave.

"You ready?" he asked me concernedly. I scoffed.

"When am I not?" I shot back. He opened his mouth. "Please, I like my dignity where it is," I interrupted. He chuckled, juggled his items, and pulled out a Pokéball. He released Storm.

"Ember, gently," he told the dog Pokémon, who yipped and blew a spark into the open lanterns. When he finished, he was recalled, and Jack and I headed inside. We were in a tiny antechamber, surrounding a hole in the ground about two feet in diameter. Holding out my lamp, I saw a ladder poking out from it. I looked uncertainly at it, then glanced at Jack, the light flickering on his handsome face.

"You want me to go down first?" he asked. I hesitated, then nodded. I didn't love the idea of being in a narrow stone/ground hole again. He settled his bag on his shoulder and strode confidently towards it, quickly descending into darkness. I waited for a moment.

"Ari?" he called, after I heard a quiet thud. "Come down. There's a little gap between the ladder and the floor, but it's not that big." He assured me. I bit my lip nervously but did as he said, focusing only on my goal. I slung the lantern over one wrist as he had done and slid my feet onto the ladder, quickly grabbing the sides. Taking a deep breath, I stared straight in front of me and reached for the next rung. Before I knew it, my foot was reaching into empty air and Jack was gently touching my hip.

"Just drop lightly," he murmured soothingly. Calmed, I did as he said. I must say, I prefer solid ground to thin wooden bars. I held the lantern aloft, looking around curiously. Though the light was strong, it was not meant to light up an entire cavern. I heard the scurrying of Pokémon as I turned to Jack, who was watching me. I raised my brows and he nodded. As we set off, walking slowly to avoid holes, stones and other obstructions, I wanted to ask him more questions, but the mountain had a quieting effect. I walked just a bit ahead of him, but noticed him trailing behind, his hand on the wall.

"What are you doing?" I asked him softly, voice echoing anyway.

"Keeping track," he replied absently. "I know we're not walking in circles by remembering if we've turned or not." I nodded as we continued, the silence broken only by our footsteps. Finally, my lantern illuminated roughly hewn steps on a raised part of the floor. I touched Jack's shoulder and he nodded, letting me precede him up the steps. Almost at once, I stumbled down a curve in the floor.

"Shit," I hissed as I regained my footing. He quickly slid in after me, looking around after a quick inquiring glance at me. I knelt down and put my lamp on the floor. It was a bowl in the floor, about six feet in diameter, pocked with bumps and pits of its own.

"Jack?" I murmured, glancing up at him.

"I think it's a crater," he muttered, unsure, still searching he area. That was weird. Slightly.

"Definitely, because the meteor phased through the top hundred yards of mountain to strike this spot," I retorted. He glared at me.

"Do you know why it's called Mt. Moon?" he challenged. I raised my brows.

"Hit me," I replied, not answering the question.

"Um…" he began. I glanced at him, one brow going higher than the other.

"Fail," I commented. He sighed.

"It's got something to do with meteorites," he grumbled, hopping out of the crater and holding out a hand to me. I smiled.

"I'm just kidding." I assured him, taking his warm hand and letting him pull me to safety. "Maybe we can ask the shop owner on the other side of the mountain," I offered. He shook his head.

"Gideon's got a book on it," he told me. I blinked and remembered that I would be meeting Jack's family perhaps tonight.

"I thought Gideon was working your dad's place," I murmured, confused, as we set off again. He nodded, his shadow flickering on the brown floor.

"He is," Jack confirmed, "But all of his stuff is still at home. He didn't plan on moving out permanently," he explained. I nodded and stopped short. We had come to the end of the rise, and in front of us was the wall of the cave. I looked up at Jack and he jerked his head back the way we had come.

"We'll see if there's another way," he said. I nodded and we turned, setting off, but now I held out my lantern to the left, and he to the right. When the light revealed more pathway, I tapped Jack's shoulder and jerked my head towards it. He nodded and we set off to the left, until we simultaneously tripped over different things, landing with an 'oof' each.

"What luck," I rasped, rolling onto my back, my lantern a little way away. Jack coughed in agreement. We stood and retrieved our lights before glancing at the things that had tripped us. They were rocks, but there was something weird. We knelt down together and examined them. The one I had fallen over had a strange spiral shape rising from it. Jack's was a simple dome with a few bumps in it. I brushed my hand gently over the rock.

"Jack," I whispered, holding my lantern closer. "Fossils. Real Pokémon fossils." I was in awe.

"You're right!" he exclaimed softly. "There's a museum full of things like this in Pewter. This must be where they get them!" After a second, I felt along the bottom of the fossil, rubbing away dirt when I felt a weak connection. Glancing at Jack, I saw him doing the same. Finally, with dirt under our nails and gritted into our skin, we each pried our fossil from the ground.

"We'll take these to the museum and see if they know what Pokémon they once were," Jack decided, tucking his under his arm. I followed suit as I stood, and we continued, finding another set of rough steps. After trying right, then left, we found that our only choice was straight forward, through a narrow passage in the wall. After trying right again, we found our way forward, Jack with his hand still on the wall. Our forced path took us left, then left again. When we hit a wall, Jack followed it right until we could move forward again. After another two turns, we reached steps again, the little cliff we were on, about five feet from the cliff we needed to get to. Descending down the steps, I fell into another crater before we went up another set of stairs. Hitting a dead end at turning right, (and another crater, but this time Jack fell in) we returned left to see a ladder heading straight into the ceiling. I looked at Jack.

"You go first. I'll be here," he murmured soothingly. I nodded, put the dirty, crusty fossil in my bag, shifted the lantern, and jumped onto the hanging ladder. I quickly went up and called down to him when I had reached the floor above. When he had joined me, we set off down the narrow passageway, which we could see both sides of.

"At least we can't get lost," I grumbled. He chuckled quietly. I examined the walls as we walked, looking for anything interesting at all. This mountain was beginning to get boring. Then, I began to hear a strange trickling noise. I searched for it, Jack looking on his side of the stone corridor as well. And then I found it.

"Ew!" I yelped, my foot suddenly freezing and cold. I pulled it away and lowered my lantern.

"What, what?" Jack asked hurriedly, checking me for some kind of injury or giant slug-monster. I hissed under my breath.

"Stupid mountain springs," I grumbled, standing and shaking out my cold shoe. Jack laughed.

"Poor Belle," he sympathized. I glared at him, glad the darkness hid my fizzing blush at the use of Sam's nickname. It appeared argument was useless at this point.

"Oh so caring," I retorted.

"I do my best,' he replied in an excellently honest voice.

"Perhaps your worst might do the job better," I muttered. He laughed and I smiled as well, reveling in our witty banter. It was like something right out of a movie. Doing my best to ignore my cold foot, we continued until we were forced to turn right. We went up another ladder and stumbled around for about an hour before finding the next ladder, which led us to a tiny chamber with a spring with only one other ladder. We headed down, found an empty cavern, went back up, up again and twisted through a maze of rocks and walls and boulders before finally a female voice called through the darkness.

"Hello?" Jack and I looked at each other.

"Hello?" he called back.

"Are you coming from Cerulean City?" the voice returned.

"Yes!" I answered. Suddenly, a vague form appeared in our light.

"You're just near the exit. I'll show you out." She appeared, looking bright and cheerful in an explorer's uniform, lantern-less but followed by a pikachu. She smiled. "Come along, it's just this way." Smiling at her in relief, the two of us simply followed wearily. Soon, we felt light falling on us and the exit loomed. We blew out our lanterns and thanked the guide as we pushed into the sunlight. Immediately, both of us groaned and threw up our hands for our aching eyes.

"Bugger fuck!" I moaned, blinking away tears and squinting enough to see a tree just ahead. I tugged Jack's sleeve and dragged him under it. We sighed in relief, eyes still closed, and I leaned against the tree trunk. To my surprise and happiness, Jack pulled me to him and my eyes relaxed into the light of his black t-shirt.

"I've been through that four times, and never have I enjoyed it," he mumbled, head against the trunk. I laughed softly.

"Well once you've gotten rid of me, you can just fly," I teased him, looking up. He raised his brows.

"I thought it was you getting rid of me," he replied, brows raised. I smiled.

"Let's just have no one getting rid of anyone." I answered firmly. He smiled and pulled away.

"Come on. Route 3 is relatively short, and we should be able to make it home by dinner," he explained. I nodded and we both opened our bags to retrieve our bikes. As we set off, we passed the small stall and returned our lanterns and water bottles.

Route three was short, but hilly with lots of patches of meadow and, rocks and boulders in our way. Jack seemed to know his way around quite well, weaving between rock walls, ledges and boulders, passing battling and resting trainers who all sent us on with a friendly wave. Soon, we had come to the summit of a hill. I gasped at I looked down on Pewter City, and Jack smiled. It was enormous. A grand, ornate, old looking building must have been the museum Jack had told me about, while a completely stone building that resembled a mountain must have been Flint's gym. Buildings littered the view and houses in a residential area sparkled with cleanliness. Viridian Forest was south of the town, and I could smell the fresh air of the city.

"It's beautiful," I murmured. Jack seemed pleased with my awe. He glanced at the steadily lowering sun, then at his watch.

"Four thirty. Let's get going." He said. With a push, he began speeding down the long steep hill, a dirt path but a smooth one nevertheless. It was fantastic following him down. When we reached the bottom, we biked straight onto the urban street, apparently having hit a shopping type area. It took us half an hour of riding, from shopping to office to residential, to reach his house, which was in the south east of the city. When we finally arrived, I was impressed. With his stained, beaten and dirty clothes, I had not expected the large suburban pleasantry that stood before us.

It was cleanly white washed with light green Tudor paneling, the window shutters an unassuming but sweet dark brown. The door was the same green as the paneling, and a quaint, red mailbox (white flag down) was sitting on the bright green lawn. A shared driveway led to a big garage and what I assumed was a backyard. I glanced at Jack as he stared up at his home, leaning on his handlebars.

"You really haven't been back since you left?" I inquired. He shrugged.

"Once, about eight months in. Not since. I've been taking winters with Dad and Gideon." He murmured. I glanced up at the house again.

"It can't be that bad. You said you were close with Mariel, didn't you?" he shrugged.

"Still haven't seen her in over a year. She's your age now, probably flirting and girly and making friends with boys," he looked disgusted at the prospect. I glanced at him shrewdly.

"So just because she's my age means-" he had the sense to cut me off.

"Just because your age and because she's home among boys she's known for years," he added quickly. I hid a smile.

"And boys are that bad for her?" I inquired, figuring I might learn a little more about Jack. Hey eyed me knowingly.

"Boys are bad for girls in general. You're lucky you've me to keep an eye on you." I snorted, awed.

"Just keep telling yourself that. Mariel won't respect you for that," I added. He shrugged.

"I know, but she won't respect herself for getting knocked up." He grumbled.

"Jack!" I exclaimed, shocked. Jack was never this outspoken. He glanced at me out of the corner of my eye.

"Jack?!" came a squeal. The green door flew open, revealing a little girl, maybe about seven, in a light orange dress. Jack smiled at her and hopped off of his bike. "JACK!" she shouted, running to him. He knelt down to receive her and gathered her into his arms, laughing as she hugged him tightly around the neck.

"Jamie!" he replied cheerfully. I smiled as I watched, and finally she pulled away and they stood, forehead to forehead.

"Why are you home?" she asked her brother, confused. He kissed her nose.

"'Cause I missed you, of course," he replied easily. She beamed, pleased.

"Everyone's home again!" she said excitedly. Jack furrowed his brow.

"Everyone?" he inquired, resettling her in his arms.

"Well, not Daddy," she said with a frown, seemingly unperturbed. "But Gid is home!" she exclaimed. His eyes went wide.

"Gideon? Why?" he asked, confused. She nodded happily.

"And he brought a girl! Emma told me her ring means they're gonna get married!" she told him happily.

"Leah?" he asked, stunned. She nodded excitedly, and her piercing green eyes- the same as Jack's- fixed on me. I hadn't realized she'd seen me.

"Are you and Jack gonna get married too?" she asked me. I turned dark red. So did Jack, to my relief.

"Jamie, this is my friend Ari. She's just a friend," he told the girl firmly, his eyes locked on hers. She nodded obediently.

"Ari, this is my sister Jeanine. Jamie for short," he added when she wrinkled her nose. I smiled at her.

"Hi. Nice to meet you." She replied with her own bright smile.

"Hi. Is that a Pokémon egg?" she asked, pointing into my basket. I nodded and smiled.

"Yeah. An eevee egg." I answered. She laid her head against Jack's neck.

"It's pretty." She commented.

"Jamie? Jamie, what are you doing?" Came a voice. Jack and I looked up to see a pretty woman standing in the door, long red hair in a tight ponytail. She narrowed her eyes. "Jack?" she exclaimed loudly. A handsome man appeared behind her, peering over her shoulder. He too squinted at us.

"Jack?" he repeated. Jack tentatively waved at the two.

"Hey," he said, only as loud as he had to. Jamie struggled until he put her down and she ran to the pair, the man scooping her up as the two left the house.

"Good God, Jack!" the woman exclaimed, smiling brightly. "You've shot up like a weed!" he turned red and rubbed the back of his neck embarrassedly.

"It's been six months," he answered lamely. The two arrived in front of us and she kissed his cheeks. I was interested to see a flush fill out his face. Jack clasped hands with the other man. His eyes flicked to me and away, smirking.

"Little Jackie has grown up," he taunted. Jack glared at him.

"Congratulations," he gritted out. I stood there, utterly lost. This was some weird family thing I was completely unused to. My own was pretty simple. Crazy, but simple. The woman beamed.

"Thanks, sweetheart," she answered gently, the tension falling away like a taut string cut in half. They turned to me and Jack forced himself to relax.

"Gideon, this is Ari Nightingale, my traveling partner. Ari, this is my brother Gideon. Leah, Ari, Ari, Gideon's fiancé Leah." He said quickly. I smiled and held out my hand.

"Nice to meet you," I said quietly, already worrying about the four other introductions I had yet to make. I hated new people, especially people older than I. Gideon gripped my hand in his free one, calloused hand warm. His hair was shadowy brown, presented fashionably with stubble running from his crown to his chin in attractively disheveled stubble. Instead of Jack's green, he had someone else's blue, but his strong nose resembled Jack's.

"And you. Keeping my brother in line, are you?" he asked me, eyes twinkling. I smiled in spite of myself and Jack's affronted look.

"I wouldn't go that far," I murmured demurely. He chuckled richly and I found my cheeks red. Marcum family charm, perhaps? Leah swatted him gently and took my hand.

"Lovely to meet you. Leah Smith," she told me kindly. I smiled back at her, having run out of things to say. She glanced at Jack and frowned. "Where have you been? You look like you just came out of a hole in the ground," she added.

"Mount Moon. Where else?" he replied in a resigned sort of tone. This was getting more interesting by the minute. She smiled at both of us.

"Come on then, lets get you two cleaned up. You're staying, right?" she asked suddenly. Jack looked desperately like he wanted to say we were just stopping by, but he nodded.

"We've got business here before we head into Viridian," he explained. She smiled brightly.

"That's wonderful. Your mother will be really pleased to have a huge dinner to make," she told us with a smile. Jack looked a bit green.

"Come on, I'll show you where to put your bike," Jack murmured to me. I nodded.

"Oh, Jack," Gideon interrupted, looking thoughtful. "Mom turned my room into an office, so Leah and I have the guest room. You and Ari'll have to share," he told his brother. Without another word, the three of them returned to the house. My eyebrows went up. That was an interesting several turn of events.

"Shit, I just remembered why I left," he whispered, putting his head in his hands, elbows balanced precariously on his handlebars.

"So Leah was there when you stayed with Gideon last winter?" I drawled. He turned red.

"Shut up. What kid doesn't fall for his brother's girlfriend?" he grumbled. "Sorry my brother's such a dick," he added quickly, pushing me off of the topic. I shrugged.

"He seemed charming," I mused.

"You have two X chromosomes. Of course he did," he muttered almost immediately. I smiled.

"We only have to stay here as long as you want." I assured him as he finally stood and led me up the long driveway. "I want to head back to Mt. Moon tomorrow and see if I can find a diglett or a geodude or something," I told Jack.

"Ground type for Flint?" Jack asked me wearily. I nodded as he punched a code into a pad on the garage door.

"I don't know how long it'll take, but I'd be fine if I fought Flint on the same day," I continued as the garage door grumbled into life and rose up with a groan.

"Don't go too fast for me," I told me as the garage door finished its ascent, revealing a plain silver car and about twenty years worth of kids toys and games. I blinked.

"Hello, large family," I whistled. Jack laughed and I smiled shyly at him, pleased I could bring his mood up a little. He beckoned to me and we put our bikes in a corner. When the door shut, Jack glanced at me.

"You ready?" he inquired. I shrugged.

"Can't see why not," I murmured. He shook his head.

"Remember, Mariel is the oldest-" he began.

"Carly is next, and Emma is a year older than Jamie, I know," I interrupted, waving my hand nonchalantly. He stared at me.

"How'd you remember that?" he asked me, a little awed. I shrugged.

"Taylor hadn't made a move on me yet, so I was listening to your conversation with your aunt," I explained easily, wrapping my arms tighter around my egg. He controlled his expression.

"Good enough," he replied easily. He walked up towards the house, past the neatly gardened backyard and onto the large back porch. He pulled open the screen door and ushered me in.

"Get ready for hell," he murmured, breath on my ear making me shiver. We were in a kitchen, large and long with a big table, an island stocked with pots, pans, cutting boards, knives and other kitchen items. Leah and another woman, tall with bright blond hair and a pale, pointed face, bustled around with aprons on. She was Arielle's double exactly, and I was certain now that they were twins. She saw us as she pulled a pot from under the island, shrieked, dropped the pot, and dashed towards us. To my amazement, she threw her arms around me instead of her son. She pulled away and kissed my cheeks, beaming at me. Jack's mouth was agape as he stared at his mother.

"Oh Ari, my sister called me the moment you and Jack left, and I've been hoping to meet you ever since!" she exclaimed. I turned red.

"Oh, um… That was… Nice of her," I mumbled, barely able to meet her eyes, the ones she shared with Jack and Jamie. I figured his dad must have passed on his blue eyes to Gideon. She seemed not to notice my awkwardness.

"And you've been keeping out him of trouble, have you?" she asked me, eyes twinkling.

"I wouldn't say that," I murmured, noticing that Gideon and Gabrielle had said practically the same thing. She chuckled.

"Fantastic. It's lovely to meet you," she answered immediately. She removed herself and kissed her son's cheeks as he turned red.

"Hello dear. All's well?" she asked him kindly. He smiled for the first time since his return home.

"Very. And here?" he asked her. She put a hand on his forearm, smiling softly.

"Calm down. I can function as a mother without your help," she scolded softly. He blushed again.

"Old habits die hard," he offered. She laughed quietly, glancing at me.

"I suppose he's become very protective of you, if I know my Jack," she guessed. I smiled up at him.

"A little bit," I conceded. "I'd've certainly gotten lost by this point, I can assure you," I added. She laughed and Jack sent me a smile that made my heart fizz. Finally, she pulled away and looked us over, a frown on her plump lips.

"You two should go clean up. Leah and I'll have dinner ready in about an hour," she told us. We nodded as she turned back to the oven. Before we could move, footsteps thundered down a stairway to our right, which curled into the dining area of the kitchen.

"JACK!" squealed a young girl, dressed in a baggy t-shirt and boys' jeans, her dirty feet bare. He laughed as she slammed into him and hugged him around the thighs, beaming up at him lovingly. "Jamie just told me you were back!" she exclaimed. "I missed you," she added in assurance. He smiled.

"I missed you too. How's school?" he asked. She wrinkled her nose.

"Bor-ring," she announced disgustedly. I hid a smile. "I can't wait to leave and train Pokémon like you!" she told him earnestly. He chuckled.

"And once you do, you'll certainly beat me," he replied. She shook her head adamantly.

"I'll never beat you," she assured him. For all that Jack had said about being a scapegoat, about having been the hated brother, I didn't buy it. It was obvious that both Emma and Jamie loved him a lot. "Did you catch any cool Pokémon?" she asked him curiously. He knelt down and looked her in the eye.

"Sky evolved, and I caught a growlithe," he told her. Her eyes widened in admiration and awe.

"Really?" she breathed. "Can I see them?" she asked. He chuckled again.

"After dinner, I promise," he added when she looked about to complain.

"Spoilsport," she mumbled. He laughed and kissed her forehead.

"I missed you," he repeated, scooping her into his arms. She glanced at me and her eyes widened, and she shrunk shyly into her brother.

"Emma, this is my partner, Ari. Ari, my little sister Emma." He introduced us. I smiled kindly at her.

"Hey. You're really into Pokémon, aren't you?" I guessed. She nodded a little. "I've got a Pokémon egg. Wanna see it?" I asked her. She perked up a little and looked at the egg in my arms in awe, reaching out a little hand. She looked up at Jack, who nodded reassuringly and I held it out to her. She laid her palm on it, then yanked it away.

"It moved!" she exclaimed. I smiled. The egg had been doing that a lot recently.

"It's close to hatching," I explained. She looked amazed.

"Really? What's it gonna be?" she asked excitedly.

"An eevee," I told her. She wrinkled her little nose.

"That's a girly Pokémon," she told us. I giggled as Jack frowned.

"Emma-" he began.

"Now jolteon, he's awesome!" she continued, unperturbed. I laughed again.

"I'll have you know that with your brother's help, I intend for him to become a jolteon," I informed her. She brightened.

"Cool!" she exclaimed. Gabrielle looked up and her forehead creased.

"Emma dear, come help me. Jack and Ari need to get settled before dinner." She instructed her daughter, who frowned.

"But mom," she complained.

"Come on, you'll have lots of time to talk to your brother," she said. Emma sighed and jumped from Jack's arms, trotting over to her mother, who smiled apologetically at me. I shrugged back and Jack led me passed the black and white check floor and the oak dining table, and up the stairs his sister had descended. I found myself in a long hallway lined by doors, carpeted in crimson to compliment the dark wood. We looked out over the foyer that led in from the green front door.

"This way," Jack murmured, breaking me from my reverie. I followed him to the left and he opened the last door. I wasn't sure what I would find as he followed me in and closed the door behind him. I looked around interestedly. The walls were white, but half way down, a strip of pale brown ran around the perimeter before the bottom filled with dark brown. He had a simple twin bed with dark blue sheets, a light wood desk, and a desk and bureau of the same material. There was no carpet to cover the wood floor, and a blue upholstered swivel chair stood lonely in the middle of the room. The walls were bare.

"It's pretty boring," he admitted simply. I shrugged.

"I suppose it doesn't need much if you're not in here often," I remarked. He shrugged and sat down on his bed. "You can have the bed. If you want, I can sleep on the couch in the den," he told me. I shrugged and shook my head.

"It's not that different from sleeping in the same clearing," I answered. I didn't feel comfortable sleeping in a strange room in a strange place without him nearby anyway.

"Thanks for dealing with my family, by the way," he added. I shrugged again and dropped my bag next to the desk, moving to the bed and sitting next to him, feeling the mattress sink under our weight.

"It's only fair," I reminded him with a smile. He sighed. "What's so terrible about being home?" I asked him. He shrugged.

"General teenage angst, I suppose. Gideon was already eight when Mariel was born, and he and dad were really close. I was two. All of a sudden, I was kicked out of the cradle and into a big boy bed," he explained, leaning back against his wall and staring at the ceiling. I drew my knees to my chest and locked my arms around them, listening intently. "When Carly was born, I was the five year old changing diapers and watching the three year old while mom gave Carly all the attention and Dad watched Gideon graduate from middle school a year early." He went on. I frowned. I didn't want to criticize people I didn't know, but Gabrielle and her husband didn't seem to be very good parents.

"By the time Emma was born, Gideon already had four gym badges, and Mariel was watching Carly while struggling through second grade and I was rebelling through fifth. Mom and Dad were fighting by this point, about me and about Gideon." He told me.

"What were they fighting about?" I asked gently. He shrugged.

"Mom said dad was pushing me too hard, and Dad accused her of never having paid attention to me." He answered. "Hypocrite," he grumbled. "Dad thought we should send more money to Gideon to get him farther in the Pokémon league, but mom wanted him to come home. Then Dad bought the farm in Pallet Town and mom got really pissed, because she was going to send Carly to private school with the money. Dad was getting mad because she was controlling everything, but she couldn't change. He hated that Carly was already becoming Mariel and mom was favoring Emma, who was about five months old. In a last ditch effort to keep the marriage together, she had Jamie, but dad left anyway, because he thought Jamie was going to be raised like the rest of us," he finished dully.

"Then, when Jamie was four, he died, so they never really worked it out. Gideon is mom's favorite because he looks just like dad and she was still in love with him, and she's always loved the youngest of us, which was why she had six kids. Emma's not too bad off, because she's just a year older, but she's a tomboy and she's too independent to be babied by mom, who loves shopping and girl shit," he told me, playing with a rubber band I hadn't seen him pick up.

"Carly never adjusted to the loss of attention when Emma was born. She doesn't hate her, but it was such a fast turn for her, that she never got past it," he continued. "Mom finally let her live with dad when she was eight, but she only lived with him for a year before he died. Mom knew Gideon wasn't responsible enough, so she made Carly come home, but she wasn't happy. I'm hoping that she gets to go live with Gideon and Leah when they get married." He said. Silence sank into the room as I stared at the wall and he pulled at his rubber band. I leaned my head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. It sounded terrible growing up as part of their family.

"It's ok. I left. Mariel's going to soon," he replied. "Carly will leave the moment she can, and I know that Emma will make her way in the Pokémon world." He left it at that. A knock sounded at the door. I pulled away from Jack, who frowned.

"Come in," he called. The door opened to reveal a beautiful girl my age. Her long dark auburn hair matched Jack's, but her eyes were his father's blue. Her nose was pointed and snub, her cheekbones high and her lashes long. She had her mother's classic good looks. She was wearing a blue low cut tank top and a short white skirt with flip flops, her hair flowing over her shoulders. She crossed her arms and leaned against the door.

"Hey," Jack finally said softly. She nodded at me.

"Who's she?" she asked. For once, Jack didn't make a face at the rudeness.

"Ari Nightingale, my traveling partner." She nodded. "How are things here?" he asked. She shrugged.

"Dan and I are leaving soon," she answered. I saw his hand clench around the rubber band.

"Dan?" he asked.

"Friend of mine," she answered nonchalantly. Their eyes clashed and I had to try hard not to shrink from the intensity. Finally, she looked down. "Neither of us are in for a relationship. He's leaving to get away, like me," she told him. He nodded.

"Do you know what you're going to do?" he asked, voice softening, fingers releasing the rubber band. She shrugged and shook her head.

"We're going to start from Pallet Town with starters and just explore. Get out. I don't know if we'll be trainers. But we can't travel without defenders, you know?" she answered. He nodded. "How 'bout you?" she asked.

"Momentary stopover," he said with a shrug. "Ari's going to fight Flint, and we're going to leave," he told her. She nodded. "We're heading south." A phone rang in the background.

"I missed you," she said softly, eyes locked on her brother.

"Sorry I left," he replied.

"I understand," she assured him. For the first time, he smiled, sadly though, and opened his mouth.

"MARIEL?" came a shout. She looked frustrated.

"Yeah?" she called back.

"PHONE!" her mother yelled. She sighed and looked at Jack.

"Once Dan convinces his dad, we're leaving. I think it'll be in about two or three weeks," she told him, disappearing and shutting the door. There was a short silence.

"Nothing will happen with Dan," I told Jack. He glanced at me, face unreadable. "Her mind is on one thing and a boy won't get in the way of something like that," I told him. He nodded. I knew that look. I'd had it once upon a time, and Jack had changed everything, but he was new, a part of my adventure. Before Mariel let anything happen with Dan, she would escape. There were other times for teenage romance.

"You okay?" I asked him a few minutes later. He scrubbed his face with his hands.

"I'll manage. Thanks." He murmured, eyes shut, face to the sky. I could tell the one place he wanted to be right now was riding through the wind south towards Viridian, Pallet, and a new adventure to Cinnabar.

"Anytime," I replied. "Anytime."

**15 pages, 6655 words, my longest yet. Hope you enjoyed the story of Jack's angsty life. You'll meet Carly next chapter.**

**TSL**


	18. Drama

**A little shorter than usual, and after a long break. Really sorry. Too busy pumping out three chapters in two weeks for another story ;D Anyway, here you go. I think you'll like this chapter. I have to study for midterms, so my lovely beta did the editing.**

**Love,**

**TSL**

I had showered and cleaned up, wiping off cave grime and dirt from every part of me, changing clothes, knowing that I could use the Marcum's laundry while I was here. I brushed my hair into a side ponytail so it could dry and dressed in my brown skirt and green tank top, zipping a jacket I'd packed over it and sliding my feet into my flip flops. Folding my clothes neatly, I quietly left the bathroom and trotted towards Jack's room. I opened the door, saw Jack shirtless in jeans, ignored it, and went to put my clothes in my bag.

"Making yourself at home?" he muttered. I grinned.

"You offered," I replied, When I looked for my egg, I blinked, finding it gone.

"Um, were your sisters in here?" I asked, thinking of Emma or Jamie.

"No," he answered, still busily working on the computer. "Why?"

"Uh, my egg is gone," I said.

"Oh, that," he said evenly, turning in his swivel chair. I looked at him, holding the little sphere against his hard stomach. I swallowed a little and he held it out to me. "Thought I'd keep it warm for you," he explained. I nodded. I was surprised at his thoughtfulness, but I shouldn't have been. It was just what Jack did. I held it tightly in my arms as I moved to stand behind him, looking at his screen. It was the International Pokémon Database, or the IPD. Every researcher, after proving their findings, published their research on IPD.

"What are you looking up?" I asked, putting a hand on the back of his chair. He sighed and leaned back, folding his arms over his chest.

"The route through Viridian Forest," he mumbled. I smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. I thought it was better for him to get this family crap out before he became estranged, but I'd never tell him that. I put a hand on his warm shoulder and he looked up at me.

"They're your family," I murmured. "They never meant it, and they still love you." His emerald eyes seemed to shine in determination for a moment as they locked on mine. His hand untangled itself and hovered for a moment, and I knew that he was going to kiss me. Right then, right there, in his room, with nothing but my egg between us. My heart beat and my hand trembled on his shoulder.

Then he blinked. His eyes turned dusky again and he covered my hand with his, smiling at me.

"I know. Thank you," he replied, squeezing my fingers. I gulped down a sob and smiled back.

"Come on," I said quietly, withdrawing my hand to the comfort of my egg. "Dinner should be ready soon." He sighed and nodded and I bit my lip to keep from crying as he dug through his dresser and pulled out a long sleeved waffle shirt. I stared at the wall as he tugged it on, ignoring the perfect way it fit his frame and the way that the collar had mussed his short hair. He glanced at me.

"Ready?" he asked. I nodded and opened the door, and he put a warm hand on the small of my back, guiding me out. I felt my eyes burn and quickly rubbed them. How could he do this to me?

"All right?" he asked me, always concerned.

"I just have something in my eye," I lied as we walked down the hallway and he let me precede him down the stairs. The kitchen smelled like heaven and Gabrielle beamed at me, wiping her hands on a towel.

"Ari dear, you look lovely," she told me. I blushed, unused to the praise. Jack's hand disappeared from my back.

"Thank you," I said meekly, cuddling my egg to me.

"Don't frighten her, mom," Gideon scolded, coming up from behind to help Leah undo her apron. I blushed harder and I heard Jack sigh.

"Where's Carly?" he asked.

"She went over to her friend Sarah's house," his mother replied. "Do you want to be a dear and fetch her home?" she asked him. He shrugged.

"Where does Sarah live?" He said, resigned. Her eyes twinkled.

"She's over on Sussex, the far corner house with the big green roof," she answered. Jack sighed.

"I'll be back," he murmured. I followed him to the door. He glanced at me.

"You don't have to come," he told me. I blinked.

"I, uh, won't if you don't want me to," I muttered. I hadn't really thought about being with his family without him. Even though he was uncomfortable with them, I didn't like the thought of being without his protection. He frowned and put a hand on my arm.

"No, it's not that I don't want you to-" he began. He glanced over my shoulder and I looked too. His family was watching us curiously, as if we were a television show. Gideon held the tiniest smirk. "Come on," he said quickly, tugging me out the door. I followed him out to the driveway where he shoved his hands in his pockets and strode angrily down the asphalt. I hurried to catch up with him and I laid a comforting hand on his back. He looked at me, shoulders sagging.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. I shrugged and let my fingers slide down to twine into his. I ignored my own feelings to comfort him. He gripped my hand as we walked into the street and headed down. I was relieved that I was the only one who noticed Gideon, Leah, Jamie and Gabrielle pointing at us from a big bay window. I only returned Jack's firm hold as we turned a corner, Jack staring moodily ahead of us. I noted that we had already reached Sussex. We walked down the small avenue in silence, until we found the green roofed house. Before he could do it for appearance's sake, I slid my hand from his and he headed up the walk. I waited at the road as he knocked on the door. A little girl, ten years old maybe, answered. Jack talked quietly to her, then nodded and turned as she shut the door. I raised my brows at him.

"She's not there," he told me, already thinking hard. "And she never was." My eyes widened. "Come on." He grabbed my hand and we ran back to his house, coming in through the front door. Gabrielle looked at us curiously, in the middle of setting the table.

"Are you sure you had the right house?" Jack asked her. She blinked.

"Yes, Sarah Brown, far end of Sussex," she recited. "Carly told me this morning."

"When did she leave?" he asked.

"About eleven," Leah pitched in. Jack cursed under his breath and his fingers tightened on mine.

"What's wrong?" His mother asked.

"Sarah said she was never there," he told her. Her jaw dropped. Gideon entered carrying a large, steaming pot.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Carly's missing," Jack told him. I could see him almost drop the pot, but he put it on the table.

"Are you sure?" he asked his younger brother. Jack stared at him and he sighed. "I'll head out to look for her," he announced. Gabrielle was just about frozen. Gideon murmured something in his fiancé's ear, and she nodded, taking her future mother-in-law's hand. Gideon glanced at us, and I saw him note our linked hands.

"We'll split up to look for her," he said , coming over. "I'm thinking she went towards the ranch." Jack nodded and Gideon stepped past us, into the front hall and out onto the lawn. To my surprise, he pulled a Pokéball from his pocket and climbed up onto the back of his charizard before disappearing into the sky.

"Show off," Jack grumbled. I had to smile. He looked at me.

"Can you take Sky and search from above?" he asked me. "She'll know how to get back here," he added. I nodded. He led me into the foyer and pointed to a table where a few pictures were lined up. Jack was missing. He pointed to a girl with stark black hair and bright blue eyes.

"That's Carly. She'll have a blue dragonite backpack and might be on a purple bike," he told me. I nodded and we hurried back into the kitchen and out the door, where Jack impatiently punched in the code for the garage and called out his pidgeot. She trilled as I stroked her neck and murmured into her ear. She bent and suddenly Jack was there, lifting me onto her. I blushed and wrapped my arms around her soft throat and she took off into the air. I waited until I saw Jack speed out of the driveway before nudging Sky in the opposite direction.

"I think Carly will go the other way, to throw them off," I told the Pokémon, who cooed in agreement. I patted her side as I made sure I had my egg securely in my arms. "Let me know if you see anything," I added as we zoomed over Pewter's suburbia.

After we reached the city, we began to search in a grid, moving up and down streets, our eyes sharp. Sky sped skillfully between tall buildings, ignoring the calls of admiration from watchers in the street below. I tried not to muss her feathers as I dug my knees in behind her shoulders, looking hard for children alone, on bikes. Then I had an idea. From what I'd heard from Jack, and from what I guessed, she would be a stubborn girl. If she was caught, she wouldn't tell the authorities who she was.

"Come on," I said to Sky, leaning downwards. "Let's check the police station. There's one the next road back." She trilled and swept a hard but practiced turn, banking and landing safely on the sidewalk, almost knocking someone over as she spread her wings and settled them again. I cursed the fact that Jack hadn't given me her Pokéball. I bit my lip.

"Can you go into the air again?" I asked her. She cheeped and returned to the sky as I hurried into the station. I ran to the desk, where a policeman looked up at me.

"How can I help you, miss?" he asked politely.

"Have you seen a little girl? About ten years old, black hair, blue eyes, pale?" I said quickly. "Dragonite backpack, maybe a purple bike?" I rattled off. He blinked.

"Let me check, and then I'll radio the cars and the other PPDs," he told me. I nodded.

"Thank you," I said. He nodded and hit a button before saying something into a phone. He repeated this three more times as I tapped my foot impatiently. He looked up apologetically.

"Nothing," he said. I hissed, frustrated. Then he paused. "Wait. Let me check if the route patrols have anything." He said. I nodded, and he made another call, describing Carly once more. Then he grinned. "Thank you very much." He turned to me.

"They've got her at route 3. She refuses to say her name or where she's from, but she didn't have a trainer's card, so they knew she was a runaway," he told me. I beamed at him.

"Thank you so much," I hurried. Before he could say anything else, I was out the door, whistling to Sky, who swooped to the ground. I jumped onto her back.

"Let's get Jack," I said to her. She cawed and sped south. She sensed my excitement and soared faster, letting the wind carry her left and right but always on the right track. I didn't see Gideon, assuming he was far over Viridian Forest. Finally, we spotted Jack, heading west. We swooped down and flew beside him.

"Jack!" I yelled. He glanced at us, still pedaling. "They've got her at the route 3 gatehouse!" he looked relieved and slowed to a halt. I stroked Sky calmingly as Jack folded up his bike. Without any ado, he jumped onto his pidgeot behind me and circled his arms around me. I squeaked in surprise, but he shh'd me.

"Can you grab the bike?" he asked his Pokémon, who trilled her agreement and took it in her claws. "North!" he yelled as she lifted into the air, unperturbed by all the weight. I slowly relaxed into Jack, my head against his neck, but I could feel he was still tense about his little sister. He didn't say a word as we crossed the city in record time. I slid my fingers under his (again) and he gripped them hard. When we reached the gatehouse, Jack was on the ground before Sky had made a full stop. I kissed her crown before I jumped off and followed him in.

"JACK!" I heard a squeal. The little girl from the picture bolted into his arms and he knelt to receive her, hugging her hard. A man wearing a ranger outfit and a badge looked at me quizzically. I smiled.

"She's ours," I confirmed. He nodded and smiled.

"I'll get one of my boys to bring her bike 'round," he told me. I nodded.

"Thanks," I replied. He nodded back and disappeared as Jack stood, his sister in his arms.

"Don't ever do that again," he whispered to her half furious, half relieved. "You scared me so badly." She even looked remorseful, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his collarbone. He looked at me.

"Thank you," he murmured. I shrugged.

"It's what I'm here for," I replied. "They're bringing her bike around," I added. He shook his head at me.

"Don't be so modest," he grumbled, kissing my cheek. I turned red as I followed him outside. "Carly?" he said. She looked up and he smiled. "This is my traveling partner, Ari. She's visiting with me. She looked up at me and I realized that we looked very similar. I smiled.

"Hi, I'm Ari. It's nice to meet you," I said meekly, tired of these introductions.

"I'm Carly." She looked at Jack, still smiling, and then pushed until he let her to the ground. Once she was sure he was helping Sky get the bikes together, she tapped my shoulder. I glanced at her.

"He likes you, you know," she whispered. I raised my eyebrows at her.

"How do you know?" I asked her curiously. She smiled.

"Jack never looks at girls like that," she told me loftily. I grinned. "Only don't hurt him," she warned. I held up a hand.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

-----

I was behind Jack for the short flight home while brother and sister talked. Of course I didn't mind; he hadn't seen her in a year and a half. However, when the bikes were back in the garage and Carly returned (disgustedly) to her mother's embrace, Jack pulled me back onto Sky and she lifted into the air as Emma and Jamie clapped happily. I saw Mariel watching wistfully from her bedroom window.

"Why are we flying?" I asked him. All though the last two flights had left me shivering in my thin jacket and tank top, the chill now had Jack's heat to compete with. He had wrapped his strong arms around me and I was leaning back against his warm torso.

"To find Gideon," he told me, resettling his arms and shifting a little. I could feel the rough denim of his jeans on the back of my calves and knees. His face hovered just beside mine. "Idiot forgot to take his phone so we'll be flying until we find him," he went on. He sounded satisfied.

"Okay, why are you flying?" I asked. He chuckled into my ear and a shiver ran down my spine.

"To get out," he murmured. "I don't blame Carly, but the whole drama thing is killing me. And Gideon's being a real ass. I'm thinking about leaving him out here," he said calmly. I turned to look at him but stopped at his profile.

"What do you mean?" I inquired, confused. I felt him shrug. "And don't tell me he's just working his charisma," I added when he opened his mouth. Jack grinned.

"Sorry. I should've known he couldn't suck you in," Jack conceded. I blinked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I said, bewildered. Jack shook his head, bumping my cheek with his. I felt my heart move a little faster.

"My mother calls it the Marcum Charm. Said my dad had it, and that's why she fell in love with him," he began quietly. "Gideon has it. The girls are always all over him. But you just seem too… Together to fall for it," he said after a pause. Dear god, he had no clue how wrong he was.

"Do you have it?" I asked him. He looked at me and our noses almost touched. My breath caught.

"I dunno." He answered. "I've never thought so, but you spend more time with me than is healthy," he joked, turning to face the wind again. "_Do_ I have it?" I bit my lip.

"I'd go with a yes, judging by Misty's reaction, and all the female trainers you've battled," I drawled. I saw Jack blush and smiled. "Though I'd have to say you don't use it as well as Gideon does," I remarked. He looked at me again, but this time I was ready.

"By which you mean…?" he prompted. I shrugged and he turned forward again.

"You don't try. Gideon smiled at me, Gideon joked with me, Gideon teased me, and Gideon was nice to me," I said, thinking of the afternoon. I felt Jack stiffen. "What?" I asked, worried, looking at him.

"Gideon was flirting with you?" he ground out. My eyebrows went up. Jealous much?

"I think he was just trying to get on my good side, since you obviously hate him so much," I answered grumpily. He sighed and shook his head, his arms tightening possessively around me.

"Still," he muttered. "He's got Leah. He shouldn't be flirting with girls ten years his junior," he added. I smiled. He was lying.

"First of all, I already said he wasn't flirting. Second, he's only nine years older than me." Jack shook his head.

"I hate it when you do that," he grumbled. I smiled.

"No you don't," I replied, flapping an idle hand. He sighed and smiled too.

"You're right," he conceded. "I can't get mad at you." My heart skipped a beat. We continued in silence, zigzagging over the edge of town and into Viridian Forest. Jack sighed after twenty minutes of searching, and he patted Sky's neck. I was looking at the clouds.

"He must have gone home already," he said sadly.

"I know you love flying," I began, putting a hand on his, still resting on my stomach. "But it's going to start raining soon," I warned. He looked up with me and sighed.

"It's all right. Sky needs to sleep too," he answered. I stroked her plumage.

"You did good today," I whispered to her. She trilled softly. With the sun just having set, it was her natural time to sleep anyway. Smiling, I leaned back into Jack. When we finally swooped into the Marcum's large backyard, Jack slid off. Before I knew what had happened, he was lifting me off as well. When I was safely on the ground, he wrapped a long arm around my back. He smiled at Sky and ran his hand over her beautiful crest.

"You don't have to go back into the ball," he told her. She cooed in agreement. "I'll leave it out here if it gets too wet," he added. She nodded. "And that tree should be big enough to perch in, yeah?" he asked, pointing to the far end of his backyard. She hopped over and inspected it before cocking her head at Jack and flapping her wings. He nodded and held out her Pokéball. She hopped over and took it delicately in her large claw. I patted her beak and Jack rubbed her plumage before she returned to the tree.

I was in awe. I had never seen that kind of interaction between a trainer and his Pokémon. It was beautiful. Fat, full drops of rain began to fall. I squeaked and my nose twitched when one hit it. Jack laughed and wrapped his other arm around me, shielding me with his thick body. My hands were pressed to his chest and I looked up at him. For the second time that day, his eyes changed, glowing with determination. Maybe this time it would work. He bent towards me. My heart was going a hundred miles a minute, and my fingers were trembling. My mind blocked out everything else.

The screen door slammed open and he jerked away, though his arms were still around me. Rain began pelting me.

"Jack, is that you?" Gideon yelled.

"Yeah!" he replied, sounding frustrated. "Just saying goodnight to Sky!" he replied, pulling away and taking my hand. I brushed the tear away with the raindrops as Jack pulled my hood up and hurried inside.


	19. New

**There were a few mistakes I had to fix here, like calling Flint Brock. Also, some notes I had to add. Same chapter, no change.**

**TSL**

**Sorry for the delay. Again. End of quarter shit. This chapter's a little longer though, ten pages, so I hope it amuses you for a little while. Enjoy the plot points.**

I woke to typing and blinked my eyes open. They were tight and I felt like soaking my face in ice water. All I could see was Jack's bare side and realized he was on his computer again, shirtless. My egg was still nestled tightly in my arms, and I could feel it kicking, like a baby in the womb. I lifted my arm to rub my eyes and Jack saw me, turning on his chair and smiled at me. With more open eyes, I could see that the room was flooded with light.

"What time is it?" I mumbled.

"Noon," Jack told me softly. "You were tossing and turning all night so I let you sleep," he explained. As if nothing had happened, as if he hadn't crushed me. I cursed mentally. He hadn't really, he hadn't known I was standing there, or that I had such a big crush on him, and I wouldn't be the one to tell him. He put a hand on my shoulder, looking concerned.

"You all right?" he asked me. I only nodded and buried myself farther in the blankets. He chuckled, patting my side. "Take your time," he teased. I sighed and let the dark cover me. But I was awake and already restless. Something Jack had said the night before occurred to me.

"_She's my traveling partner. We've been together 24/7 for the last two and a half weeks."_

That was it. I just needed to get away from Jack, take a break. Do some exploring on my own without him worrying or commenting on my every move. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to make some mistakes. I slid forward again and threw off the covers. Jack raised an eyebrow, but I went to the laundry basket the Marcum's had lent me the night before and dug through it for a black, long sleeved tee-shirt and a white short sleeved shirt. I paired them with some basketball shorts and hurried off to the bathroom, eager to get ready and go. Jack was still looking bewildered when I returned.

"Going somewhere?" he inquired, not in a mean way. I nodded as I hopped around his floor on one foot, struggling into my sock.

"Mount Moon," I replied, repeating the process with my other foot. He stood, shut his laptop and pushed the chair in.

"What's the hurry?" he asked. I shrugged, slinging my bag over my shoulder, putting on my hat and gathering my almost-awake egg into my arms. He was pulling on a t-shirt. When he was done, I was looking at him. He raised his eyebrows.

"I'm, um, going alone," I said uneasily. His eyes held bewilderment and hurt, and I gritted my teeth at the thought that I was causing him pain.

"Why? Did I do something? Was it yesterday?" he asked. What had happened yesterday? I shook my head hurriedly.

"No, no of course not," I said soothingly. "I just need to get out," I told him. "I met you half an hour out of home. I want to do something alone, just this once," I pleaded. There was a brief silence as he took me in. I realized he didn't want to be alone with his family. Finally, he nodded.

"I may go out to Diglett's cave and see if I have any luck catching something," he told me coldly. I bit my lip. I didn't want him to be mad at me. That was the last thing I wanted. He opened a drawer to pull out a pair of socks, ignoring me.

"Jack," I whispered unhappily. He shrugged.

"Good luck," he murmured. "Hope you get what you're looking for." It was a clear dismissal. I sighed, my head pounding.

"You too," I muttered. "I'll see you tonight." I trudged unhappily out the door. Stupid emotions, screwing everything up. I think we were both waiting for the other to change their mind. It didn't happen and I descended the stairs into the kitchen. Gabrielle looked up and smiled.

"Good morning, dear. Sleep okay?" she asked. I smiled absently.

"Very well, thanks. Sorry to bother, but can you open the garage door for me?" I requested politely. "I need my bike." She frowned as she put down her frying pan. She met me at the door.

"What about Jack?" she asked. I shrugged.

"We're um, splitting up today," I answered. She furrowed her brow.

"Why?" she inquired, opening the door almost grudgingly.

"We have different agendas," I replied simply, not wanting to go into everything. She looked skeptical but proceeded over to the garage, punching a number into the pad.

"Just hit the close button on your way out," she told me sparingly, trotting sedately back into her kitchen. I watched her go and let out a sigh. She was angry with me about Jack. Shrugging, I took my bike, wheeled it out and closed the garage. I was through caring about other people. Today, it was all Ari. A chirp interrupted me as I put my egg in the basket and pushed up the kickstand. Sky was looking at me inquiringly, holding her Pokéball out in one claw. I shook my head.

"Wait for Jack. He'll be out soon," I told her. She stared at me with her bright, beetle black eyes. I looked away. God, I hadn't been that bad! Without another guilty glance, I stood on the pedal, pushed off with my other foot, and rode down the pavement, quickly mounting my bike.

---

It was twenty minutes later when I had finally left Pewter's suburbs behind and entered the city. I took a deep breath. The city was just about entirely uphill. I pushed hard, and I was sweating and out of breath when I coasted the hill to route three half an hour later.

"Fuck Pewter," I grumbled miserably as I got off my bike and began to walk down the easy dirt path. It was a pretty straightforward path. There were rocks and boulders and grassy patches, but I could see Mt. Moon in the distance. When I had caught my breath and entered the part of the route that was less easygoing, I mounted my bike again.

I was ready for this, ready to forget Jack for a few hours and just be. I smiled, ready to actually try out my bike, which claimed to be a mountain bike. I pushed hard and within seconds I was wheeling nicely along the rocky terrain. It was a sick bike. I frowned, however, noticing that my egg was bouncing. Sighing, I rolled to a stop beside a great stone, at least the size of my house, simply sticking out of the ground. I shook my head. Pretentious Pewter rocks. I heard shouts and cheers from around the rock and, holding my egg, walked my bike around the base of the rock. There was a large ring of people crowding around something. I heard Pokémon noises, and the shouting of trainers. It must have been a battle. Intrigued, I leaned my bike against the rock and searched until I found a little projection. Smiling, I hopped onto it and leaned out over the crowd.

It was freaking intense. A seel against a bird Pokémon I didn't recognize. Though the seel had the type advantage, its opponent was the fastest I'd seen since Lunus.

"Come on Seel!" shouted one of the trainers. "Hail!" shouts of anger came from the spectators as clouds gathered above them. I grinned. The hazards of Pokémon battles, I suppose.

"Staravia, whirlwind!" shouted the trainer's opponent. The watchers groaned. I watched intently. Whirlwind would blow the seel away, but the seel had already used the attack. Then I saw it. The wind was blowing the hail, not the confident looking ice Pokémon. I looked at the staravia's trainer, who carried a smirk. "I'd duck!" he yelled to the watchers, who caught on. They flattened themselves to the ground, but I let the hail hit. I was used to Aquatrix's hail. The whirlwind was making it disintegrate too, forcing warm summer air into the chips of ice. When the dust and hail cleared, the seel's trainer was kneeling over his fallen Pokémon. The far trainer's face was empty, but a smile flickered as the staravia landed on his outstretched arm. The watching trainers were going wild with excitement.

The staravia's trainer approached his opponent and held out a hand. They shook, and the two parted. To my interest, the staravia fellow returned to his spot. The spectators looked eager. Bloodthirsty if you will. I tapped an older girl on the shoulder.

"What's going on?" I asked tentatively.

"This guy's like some kind of prodigy. He's all the way from Sinnoh." She began excitedly. "He shows up from Mt. Moon and Big Tom, who's one of the best who trains at route 3, he challenges him, and the new guy's like, 'Sure, whatever,' and he beats him in under five minutes!" she exclaimed. I assumed Big Tom was pretty good. I raised my brows. "So Rusty, Big Tom's friend, challenges him next, and the new guy knocks 'im down, just like Big Tom. Then this guy challenged him, he's just a passing trainer," she said scornfully. She was proud of her Big Tom and her Rusty.

"So what's everyone waiting for?" I asked. She gave me a devilish grin.

"The next battler. Why don't you take a shot, city girl?" she challenged cheerfully. I turned pink. I looked up, and so did the new guy. Somehow, our eyes met through the crowd. I smiled.

"If you watch my bike," I replied easily. She grinned.

"Come on, girl, show 'im what Kanto's made of," she prompted. I smirked, feeling the same rush I'd felt when I'd taken down the kid from Fuchsia at my contest. The Sinnoh guy was still watching me. He looked to be about seventeen or eighteen, tall and strong, but I couldn't see much from the distance.

"Come on guys!" the girl shouted. "We got our next battler!" people turned to look and I turned red under their scrutiny. They looked disbelievingly at the fourteen-year-old with the egg. I'd prove them wrong. That was what I was here to do. That was my motivation. The crowd parted among mutters and I strode through, the girl wheeling my bike in next to me.

"Don't let me down," she murmured. I grinned.

"Didn't even occur to me," I replied. I balanced myself in front of Sinnoh. "How are we playing?" I shouted.

"Your rules," he replied easily. I thought for a moment. My best bet was two on two, single battle. I really only had two reliable battling Pokémon, one of which I wasn't sure I could even control. Which reminded me why I had come to Mt. Moon in the first place.

"One on one!" I decided. He nodded and set his own stance.

"Ladies first!" I smiled grimly. I hated when male trainers pulled that; it just let them get the type advantage.

"Aquatrix! Let's roll!" I shouted, throwing the Pokéball high into the air. She appeared and I smiled at his surprise. He dug through a belt and chose one, studying it for a moment before hitting the button and letting the Pokémon out. My jaw dropped. Aquatrix looked equally surprised. Sinnoh's Pokémon had the exact same build as my vaporeon, with long ears, a wide tail, a crest, and a diamond pattern. She was a glory of blues. Sinnoh smiled at my surprise.

"The next generation," he called. "Glaceon, quick attack!" he commanded. Glaceon? What _was_ this Sinnoh bull? I gritted my teeth.

"You know the drill!" I shouted. Aquatrix yipped and she was in the air just as glaceon slid past her, floating on her beam of water. I got claps. "Aurora beam!" I knew it wasn't likely that it would do much to the seemingly ice-type Pokémon, but it was worth a shot, right?

Aquatrix fell to the ground and skidded to a stop on the wet dirt, shooting the multi-colored beam at her opponent, who took the attack in stride, shaking it off. I gritted my teeth again.

"Bite!" I yelled. She leapt forward and I was momentarily proud of her speed.

"Glaceon!" Sinnoh yelled. To my surprise, the Pokémon charged towards Aquatrix.

"Again!" I countered. Aquatrix was in the air again.

"Jump and tackle!" Sinnoh yelled.

"Water gun!" I yelped helplessly. Aquatrix was knocked off balance but managed to make a square hit. Both evolutions of eevee skidded to the ground, breathing hard. But it was only beginning. "Hail!" I ordered.

"Not again," someone groaned. I didn't care. I needed time to think. I wasn't going to win this battle by power.

"Acid armor and keep moving!" I yelled. Aquatrix barked and skipped around the field, glowing in her protection, too fast for the glaceon to hit her. I had to think fast. My vaporeon was good, but I wasn't sure how long she could hold out.

"Glaceon, icy wind!" Sinnoh called. I hissed and spared a glance at the hail clouds, their stormy grey turning white.

"God damn," one of the spectators said grumpily. Suddenly, all I could see was the glow of Aquatrix's fins, but there she was again. Then it hit me. I grinned viciously. Aquatrix had disappeared into a long ditch that I'd seen while watching Sinnoh's prior battle. Just a rut in the battlefield. Just because glaceon could _control_ ice didn't mean she could destroy it.

"Acid armor again, then move closer!" I yelled. I needed the ice to stop for just a second. Aquatrix barked and skipped closer, the glaceon on her haunches, teeth bared. I held my arm up to shield my face from the ice, clenching my teeth. "Quick attack!" I shrieked. A bark of pain rang from the hidden battlefield, shrouded by ice and wind and hail. I wondered worriedly if it was my Pokémon or his. But there was no time to waste.

"The ditch! Fill it with water!" I commanded.

"Be careful!" Sinnoh replied. "Watch where you're going!" I smiled briefly. Glaceon's icy clouds had wavered and were weakening and thinning out. I could already see Aquatrix, a jet of water streaming from her muzzle.

"Keep your eye on her!" I yelled. Her tail whipped as if to say, _I know._ I smiled again. The glaceon stood straight and shook herself off, replying loftily with her tail in the air. Aquatrix was still filling the ditch, but her beetle black eyes were focused. The hail and ice and snow had cleared away, leaving a sunny summer sky.

"Ice fang!" Sinnoh ordered grimly. I hissed. Aquatrix jumped clear, but the fast glaceon got her back leg. She barked in pain and tumbled into the water-filled ditch. I frowned grimly.

"Use water absorb, and ice it when you're ready!" I shouted, remembering her ability and hoping Aquatrix would understand what I meant. She closed her eyes and sank into the water. "Steady," I whispered hopefully. "Come on…"

"Bite!" Sinnoh ordered. Thank freaking god. Glaceon ran into the water just as Aquatrix emerged, shedding water.

"Aurora beam!" I shrieked, my heart at a fever pace. It was already being done. The water in the ditch froze fast and efficiently, trapping glaceon with one paw free. Sinnoh's jaw dropped as Aquatrix leapt from the water to ice the last gap. The crowd gasped and I smiled grimly.

"Let's go, quick attack one more time!" I commanded. Glaceon yelped and struggled in the ice and I winced in sympathy, turning away as my vaporeon slammed into her opponent. There was silence as Aquatrix skidded unsteadily to a halt on Sinnoh's side, breathing hard. Glaceon was limp, frozen in the ice. I sighed hard and dropped to my knees, gently putting my egg at my feet and holding out my arms. Aquatrix limped heavily over to me and I hugged her tightly as the stunned crowd began to cheer.

"You're excellent, and I swear you'll get a break in one of Mt. Moon's springs," I whispered to her. She yipped gently and I looked up. A flaming, armored monkey was slowly burning away the ice from around glaceon. Before I could see what happened, the Pewter girl was screaming in my ear.

"You did it, City Girl!" she yelled excitedly. "Kanto rules!" she shouted. I laughed, pet Aquatrix once more and recalled her. I scooped my egg into my arms and stood, making for Sinnoh, who was lifting a barely conscious Glaceon into his own hold. He smiled at me when I approached. My heart sped up. He looked to be about seventeen or eighteen, with dark brown hair, a snub nose and shaded grey eyes. His skin was tan and rough from lots of traveling. He wore a green t-shirt under a grey jacket, khakis, and running sneakers.

"Thanks, infernape," he murmured, recalling the monkey. He held one hand out to me, cuddling Glaceon in his other arm. I smiled shyly and shook it.

"That was a very good match," he told me. "Please tell me you're some kind of training genius who's on her way to destroy the elite four," he drawled. I blushed, embarrassed.

"Not even close," I stammered, his hand warm on my palm. He raised his eyebrows.

"Do tell," he prompted, relinquishing my hand.

"I'm almost a coordinator," I answered. He shook his head.

"At least say you're older than thirteen," he begged. I grinned.

"Fourteen as of last week." He cursed and I giggled.

"Come on, walk with me to the Pokémon center?" he offered. I turned pink.

"Uh, of course," I said, surprised. "Let me just grab my bi-" I began. He was already crooking his fingers towards my side of the field. I turned. Pewter Girl was wheeling my bike over. I was bewildered.

"The girls are stopping all the boys from attacking you," she whispered in my ear. "A few are angry that your skills are taking their men," she explained. My cheeks burned.

"Tell them they need not worry," I replied, taking my bike. "I'm happy as I am," I said firmly. She grinned.

"Will do. Thanks again for the honor save, Kanto!" she said, waving and skipping off. Sinnoh grinned at me.

"You must have a better name than Kanto," he offered. "I'm Kyle Lowry, Snowpoint City, Sinnoh." He said formally. I smiled.

"Arabel Nightingale, Vermillion City, Kanto," I answered. "Ari." I added quickly. He returned my smile as I gently placed my egg in the basket. We began to walk towards the mountain, the crowd parting for us in awe. I hid my face and ducked under Kyle's shadow. He chuckled.

"You'll get used to it," he promised me. I blushed.

"How long have you been training?" I asked him curiously.

"Four years. I started when I was your age, and I'm eighteen now," he answered. I nodded.

"Is this your first trip to Kanto?" I inquired, looking up at him. He nodded.

"I finished the Sinnoh league two years ago, and then I trained in Johto. I just came over to Vermillion a couple weeks ago," he explained. My eyebrows went up. He was a very well traveled guy for an eighteen year old.

"Did you finish the Johto league?" I wanted to know. He shrugged.

"I beat the gym leaders, yes. I've never challenged the elite four." He sighed. "I like my ego, dignity and reputation where they are," he explained. I giggled and smiled.

"Do you have Pokémon from each region?"

"Yeah. I started out with a chimchar, he was my first. He turned into my infernape," he told me. The fire monkey. I nodded. "Caught a full team and more while I was in Sinnoh. When I got to Johto though, I found that as a trainer new to the region, I was allowed to take a starter Pokémon, on the condition that I only took one of my old Pokémon with me, which was cool. I actually left all of them behind," he went on. I raised my brows and he nodded. "I took a totodile that time and caught a bunch of them. When I got to Kanto, I kept a few from each region." I cocked my head at him in confusion.

"Why?" I said.

"I have to start from Pallet Town if I want a starter type. That's what I'm doing here," he answered, gesturing at Route 3 with his free hand.

"So you have sixteen badges?" I asked, amazed. He smiled and nodded.

"And working on more," he assured me.

"Do you have plans for Hoenn?" I continued. He nodded.

"In another two years. That's usually how long it takes me to finish a region." He replied. "I love being able to start again every time," he added thoughtfully as we turned onto another road and sighted the Pokémon center up a long hill.

"Will you ever challenge an elite four, do you think?" I inquired. He shrugged.

"Eventually. I'll probably return to Sinnoh after Hoenn," he said with a shrug. "Maybe after that I'll go to Shikoku and Tohoku," he added, naming the last two regions on our side of the world. Politically, the earth was split in half. One side held Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Shikoku and Tohoku. The other held about seven regions, but extremely difficult conditions over the sea made it nearly impossible to reach the other side of the world. Only one man and his crew had made it over the North Pole and back, though the land had once been one giant continent, and people from the Western Side had made it here and continued to thrive before their ancestral land split away.

"Tell me about your glaceon," I said, smiling sweetly at him. He smiled back.

"I'll assume you know all about eevee's evolutions, seeing your egg," he began. I grinned and nodded. "About the same time that Pokémon breeding was discovered, and it became a profitable business, the people of Johto discovered espeon and umbreon," he told me. I nodded. "At the same time, on Sinnoh, the same breeding pop was happening. Until this point glaceons had only been seen in the wild, with only one piece of photographic evidence." I nodded, intrigued. "Eevees are very rare in the wild, and they're just about only found on Kanto. Breeding made them more accessible to people in the other five regions. One day, a trainer was battling up at a place called Ice Rock, this huge tower of rock that's been iced over up in the far north of Sinnoh, near Snowpoint city," he went on. "He was battling against a wild Pokémon, and once he had defeated it with his eevee, it started to glow. It evolved into glaceon," he said, sounding satisfied. I gaped at him.

"It was the location?" I asked, amazed. He smiled and nodded.

"No one really understands it. Processor Rowan, Sinnoh's Professor Oak, has been studying localized evolution very deeply. There are three other instances, but this kind of evolution hasn't been discovered in anywhere but Sinnoh." I was amazed. This was a whole new idea to me. Something in the earth actually connected with a living being and made it _change!_ The idea was incredible.

"What other Pokémon evolve by location?" I wanted to know.

"Actually, another eevee." My jaw dropped.

"There are _seven _of them?" I exclaimed, bewildered. Why was there so much I didn't know? He smiled.

"Yeah. The fellow who first evolved a glaceon was a Pokémon researcher. There's this other huge rock monolith down near a place called Eterna Forest. It's called Moss Rock. Ice Rock and Moss Rock are supposed to be related, created at the same time or something like that. There are a few legends," he added. I nodded. "So this glaceon trainer breeds another eevee and starts training it down in Eterna Forest, under Moss Rock. After he won a battle, the eevee evolved into something called a leafeon." I whistled. Boy, did I want to see that.

"What else is involved with localized evolution?" I inquired as I locked my bike and picked up my egg, and we stepped into the Pokémon center.

"Well, one of them is magneton. There was this strange, electric type Pokémon, pretty big, that was only showing up in one place in Sinnoh. It hadn't even been seen much, only one or two sightings. It's called a magnezone, and if you train a magneton there, it will evolve into a magnezone." Kyle explained. I shook my head. "Mt. Coronet has something going for it," he added wryly. I glanced up at him. "The Hoenn Pokémon nosepass evolves into probopass when raised at Mt. Coronet." I sighed.

"I'll have to visit one day," I commented wistfully. He smiled as we approached the counter. Another Nurse Joy approached and gasped as she saw glaceon.

"The poor dear!" she exclaimed. "Is everything all right?" she asked, looking concernedly at Kyle, who smiled.

"Just a tough battle," he assured her. She shook her head and gently took the worn out Pokémon. He plucked five other Pokéballs from his belt and handed them to her. She clicked her tongue in disapproval but went to heal the Pokémon.

"So what about you?" he asked, leaning against the counter. "You've got a vaporeon and you're still carrying around an eevee egg." He reminded me. I shrugged.

"I want all of the eevees," I explained simply. "Aquatrix was my first. She kind of inspired me. I also have an espeon and an eevee that I intend to keep as she is. This fellow will be a jolteon," I added, gesturing to the egg. He raised his brows.

"That's a tough goal," he commented. I smiled wryly.

"So I've been told," I answered dryly. He grinned.

"Do you think you'll go after leafeon and glaceon after you get umbreon and flareon?" he asked me. I shrugged.

"I may take a break from catching Pokémon," I said thoughtfully. "I still want to be a coordinator, after all," I continued. He nodded.

"How long have you been training?" he wondered. I counted on my fingers.

"About a month," I answered. He stared at me.

"Why did you beat me?" he asked, astounded. I shrugged, blushing. It was praise, however unconventional.

"Pure dumb luck?" I offered. He shook his head.

"Ms. Nightingale, you are something to be admired," he murmured. I looked away and he chuckled. "It was not luck. You knew the field. You played your surroundings to your advantage, and you knew that your vaporeon wouldn't beat my glaceon without some tricks," he told me. I shrugged as said glaceon barked happily and leapt onto the counter. Nurse Joy, smiling, handed over the balls. Kyle grinned gratefully back.

"Thanks," he said, holding out his arm. Glaceon curled onto it and made her way to his shoulders, where she curled around his neck. She really was beautiful. Joy glanced at me.

"Do you need anything?" she inquired. I shook my head and handed her Aquatrix's Pokéball.

"Just this one," I replied. She nodded and took it.

"Where did you learn to do things like that?" Kyle asked me. I shrugged.

"Around," I said demurely. "I get it all from my mother. She was a gym leader," I answered. His eyebrows went up again.

"First of all, I doubt it's simply your mother inside you, telling you how to play a game that still puzzles generations today. You obviously have something going for you," he said, pointing at me. "Second, where was she a gym leader?" he asked. I laughed.

"Cerulean, before the Water Flower sisters took over," I replied. Nurse Joy handed me my vaporeon and I smiled and nodded in thanks as Kyle turned again. Glaceon hopped down his arm and twined herself through his feet before letting him return her to her Pokéball.

"Where are you headed?" he asked me as I unlocked my bike. I nodded towards the mountain.

"Mt. Moon again. I need to catch a geodude or the like before I battle Flint," I explained. He furrowed his brow.

"Why are you fighting Flint? Are you taking the gym challenge too?" he wondered. I shook my head.

"I can't control my espeon," I told him, pulling my bike from the rack and settling my egg in the basket. He nodded thoughtfully.

"Would you mind if I tagged along?" he asked. I raised an eyebrow.

"You just came out of there," I reminded him. He shrugged.

"I'm okay with caves. Besides, I can be your knight in shining armor if you fall and hurt yourself," he joked, grinning. I thought of Jack and hid a little sigh. Much as I liked Kyle, I still did want to go alone.

"I've never gotten hurt in a cave before," I lied, crossing my fingers behind my back. He smiled.

"Always a chance to try it out," he teased.

"That sounds morbid," I remarked. He laughed.

"Come on, I won't bother you," he begged. Why was an eighteen year old begging to chaperone me? In a cave? I shook my head. "Don't you want to hear more about Sinnoh?" he wheedled. I glared at him.

"You bastard," I grumbled, locking my bike back in and picking up my egg. He chuckled cheerfully. "You still don't have a valid reason," I muttered to him as we picked our way up the dirt path to the cave entrance. He smiled and shrugged.

"I like you. Do I need more of a reason?" he asked. I stopped and looked up at him.

"What interest could you possibly have in me?" I said incredulously. His eyebrows went up. "I'm four years younger with an impossible dream, a boring existence, and an uneventful journey," I told him. "I just don't see what you see."

He stared at me for a second, then shrugged.

"Ari, you beat me." He told me, grey eyes serious. "No one other than a gym leader has done that in a long while, and there's obviously something I have to learn from you." There was a short silence. "Even if you are four years younger." I looked down, but yelped and looked away. My egg was lighting up, flashing and flickering and glowing on and off. It seemed as if it couldn't make up its mind over hatching or not hatching. Kyle and I stared at it as patches of white light appeared and retreated until a halo of silver finally surrounded the whole thing. I gently placed it on the ground and stood back. Crossing my arms over my chest, and watched it intently.

There was silence as the white glow quickly changed shape. The eevee burst into blinding light for half a second before sneezing into the dust, becoming the same brown and tan as Saffron. Kyle's mouth was open in a small, astounded 'O'. I smiled and knelt. The eevee cocked his head at me.

"Hello there," I said easily. He mewed and I beamed, holding out my arms. He trotted up to me, sniffing my knees and hands and elbows. I gently scooped him into my arms and he licked my cheek, making me giggle. "I'm going to call you Flicker," I decided. He chirped. Kyle was staring at me.

"You're acting like you're an old pro at this," he said unbelievingly. I shrugged.

"I've seen it happen once," I replied, smiling as I nuzzled the Flicker's nose with mine. "It's more beautiful than astounding now," I added, stroking his ears. The eighteen-year-old shook his head.

"You are _way_ too old for your age," he muttered. I smiled.

**AN:** **Kanto is an actual region in Japan, with the same name and average geological features.. While Johto, Sinnoh and Hoenn are not actual Japanese region names, they correspond to regions in Japan. Shikoku and Tohoku are two other Japanese regions that I chose at random to include as the other two regions on the Eastern Side of the world.**

**AN****2****: When I came up with the Eastern/Western side of the world, I split it impassably so I wouldn't have to deal with the temptation to write a story about the other side and therefore have to come up with completely new Pokémon. When I talked about people coming from the Western Side to the Eastern Side [Kanto and etc. are on the Eastern Side I mean people that spoke French and such. While our characters are English, Pokémon is inexplicably Japanese. I imagine there to be another side of the world where it's based on Europe or something.**

**Well, hope you liked it. Um, I really have no idea how much longer this will be, because I've changed the ending as I wrote it a few months ago. It still might end at Cinnabar. That sounds pretty good at this point. As far as chapters go, the problem with this story is that each day gets its own chapter, sometimes a chapter and a half. So I'm going to jump the gun at nine to ten more chapters. I think a brief hiatus will build up to writing the sequel. At any luck, I'll finish it mid-march, a year from when I started.**

**To AliPhantom, my first reviewer: Can you believe it's been eleven months?**

**In other news, I'm going to give you guys a little author treat. Soon, I'll be presenting you with a contest. Three trivia questions about the story, each harder than the last. They're pretty random questions, but I swear to you that you can find them in the story. Each person that comments/reviews/whatever with the right answer will get a prize. More info when I feel like typing it up.**

**Yours always,**

**TSL**


	20. Just Go

As we entered the cave, Flicker in my arms, Kyle pulled out a Pokéball and sent out a Pokémon. It was large and yellow, about the size of me, with shiny red orbs on its tail and forehead. It had a white belly and black and white ears. It chirruped and Kyle smiled.

"Ampharos, flash," he said softly. I watched in interest as its tail orb flickered and a flash illuminated a circle about fifteen feet out from us. "Thanks," he added, recalling her. I thought for a moment as we began walking.

"She looked Johto," I guessed. He smiled and nodded.

"My first caught Pokémon there." He answered.

"Won't the light scare off any Pokémon I want to catch?" I inquired. He shrugged.

"Not the ones you're looking for. If you were after a clefairy or a zubat, then you'd be out of luck," he explained. I shrugged.

"Good enough," I mused. We walked in silence in our hemisphere of light. As we descended a ladder, Kyle said to me,

"Enough about me. Tell me about you." I shook my head and he called out his ampharos again to light our way.

"No, really," he wheedled. "Family, ambitions, wishes, boyfriends…" I glanced at him quickly, but he was innocently observing the cave wall, running a hand over it. I shook my head. Boys.

"I have a twin, a gym leader-slash-chef mother, and a managerial father. I want to be a coordinator and catch and raise all of the evolutions of eevee. I think it would be the coolest thing to go the other side of the world." I rattled out. "Good enough?" He eyed me, a smile growing on his face. I felt myself turning red.

"No mention of boys?" he murmured.

"What if I'm not that type of girl?" I shot back grumpily. He held his hands up.

"I never said you were," he said calmly. "I'm just curious."

"I thought you wanted to come with me because I beat you in a battle." I reminded him. He shrugged.

"Is it such a crime that I find you intriguing? Do you want to be alone? Because I will leave, with no offense taken," he assured me. I desperately wanted to shoo him away, but I had become comfortable in the light. And I didn't want to be mean.

_Ari_, my mind scolded. _What about your resolution?_ "I was through caring about other people. Today, it was all Ari." It was exactly what I had thought this morning.

"Um, Ari," Kyle interrupted my musings. I would have ignored him, had his voice not sounded so nervous and shaky. I glanced up at him, but he was pointing down. I sighed. Just my luck. I stepped back and the geodude I had trodden on rose into the air, hands fisted, face angry.

"Watch an idiot work," I murmured wryly to Kyle, pulling Aquatrix's Pokéball out of my pocket, where I'd put it before. Flicker trotted curiously up my arm and settled around my neck to watch.

"Aquatrix, let's go!" I yelled, calling her into the semi darkness. She blinked and yipped. The geodude was already attacking, trying to tackle Aquatrix, who leapt out of the way. Battles with wild Pokémon were iffy. While the Pokémon weren't versed in battle, most of them anyway, as trained Pokémon, I couldn't hear a trainer call a command and ready Aquatrix for the attack.

"Water gun!" I ducked as the geodude dodged out of the way- fast little bugger- and the water jet streamed over my head. She barked in apology and I tried a new tactic.

"Quick attack!" I said. She barked again and bounced off a new rock, slamming into the geodude. He shook it off fairly quickly and I bit my lip.

"Water gun again and follow him! He's not that quick!" I ordered, frustrated already. Stupid Kyle. Aquatrix did as told and finally she pinned the geodude against a few rocks. She hit him squarely and the wild Pokémon grunted in anger. "Tackle! Hard!" I commanded. Aquatrix threw herself at him and he slammed back against the rocks. "Heads!" I called, tossing one of my Pokéballs as she jumped away. There was a bated silence as the ball rocked and blinked, and I thought of the last Pokémon I had caught. Spark, my little dumbass. There was a beep and a flash of white light.

"Schwing!" I said, grinning, trotting over to stroke a proud looking Aquatrix and pick up my new Pokémon. Kyle had his brows raised.

"Mazel tov," he commented. I looked up at him.

"Gesundheit," I answered. He laughed.

"It means good job." He told me. I nodded.

"I know. I told him, calling back Aquatrix and pocketing both Pokéballs. "Well, I'm done here," I added.

"That's it?" he asked, surprised. I shrugged.

"I had an agenda," I answered, heading back the way we had come. "I'm beating Flint and getting out of here." I added.

"Why so eager to leave?" he inquired.

"It's not my choice." I replied.

"Then whose agenda is it?" he went on.

"My traveling partner."

"Who is… Where?"

"Diglett's Cave, unless he followed me here."

"Why would he follow you?"

"Because I always manage to get hurt when he's not lurking behind me."

"Then why did you come alone?"

"I needed to get out for a day."

There was silence.

"I needed to get hurt. I needed to make my own mistakes and learn something on my own." I explained.

"Did you know him from home?" Kyle asked, almost apologetically.

"No. He's from Pewter. I met him right after I left. I haven't traveled twenty minutes without him since I rode out of Vermillion City."

We climbed the ladder and he called ampharos to light the way, but I just about knew where I was going. Kyle let me be. When we breached the sunlight again, I hissed in annoyance. Stupid sunlight. I squeaked when Flicker stuck his cold nose behind my ear. He hadn't moved from my shoulders since he'd crept there. Kyle shaded his eyes.

"I'm heading to the Pokémon center, and then I'm going back to my partner's place." I told him. He glanced at me.

"Do you really not like me?" he inquired. I sighed in disgust.

"No. You just messed with my me day, is all," I told him. "Last night was bad for me and I'm just grumpy." I admitted, crossing my arms and looking away.

"Ok then. Will you promise me something?" he asked me. I glanced at him warily. His eyes were steadfast.

"I know I'm going to see more of you, on TV, in the news, magazines, whatever." I turned pink. "You are going to go far. I hope I'm not wrong about this. When you come to Sinnoh to catch leafeon and glaceon, come find me in Snowpoint City." He said firmly.

"That's it?" I asked, wishing I had an egg to hug to my chest.

"That's it." He confirmed.

"How will I find you?" I asked. He smiled.

"I was actually adopted my Snowpoint's Nurse Joy. My parents were lost in a storm outside the city and couldn't reach help in time. One of the chansey's found me. So you can ask Nurse Joy, and she'll tell you if I'm home or not."

Wow. Epic childhood.

"I'll do that." I answered. He held out a hand.

"It was good meeting you Ari. Good luck." He said. I shook it.

"Likewise, Kyle. I wouldn't doubt seeing you around either," I added with a smile. He gave me his own, stepped back, and saluted me.

"See ya!" he said, trotting off. I shook my head and tried not to dwell on him. I'd known him for less than an hour. I walked back to the Pokémon center, got Aquatrix and my new geodude healed, and left again. I stood under a nearby tree and called him out. He shook himself out and glanced up at me curiously.

"Hello there," I said calmly. "I'm Ari." I wasn't crazy. It paid to treat Pokémon with respect. "Would it be all right if I named you?" I inquired. He studied me and the eevee on my shoulder before answering in his one-word range and inclining his head to me. I smiled. "Can I call you Boulder?" I inquired. He actually looked thoughtful and I stifled a giggle. I loved the range of facial expressions Pokémon could make. He nodded again, looking serious. I reached out a hand, and he took it. I was amazed at the feeling of rock hands that moved like muscled fingers. "So this is the start of a good partnership?" I asked him. He nodded again. I smiled. "Do you want to practice?" He looked excited and I smiled, pulling out his Pokéball.

"Let's find a trainer."

----

"Ari?" I blinked my eyes open. Jack was standing over me. I was resting against a tree near the exit from route two. It was about five o'clock, and I'd been waiting for him to emerge for half an hour.

"Hi," I said… Breathlessly?

"What are you doing here?" he wondered. He seemed over his little morning tiff. I shrugged.

"Waiting for you." I answered. He raised his brows.

"Did you catch a geodude?"

"I did. He's a damn good fighter, too. I'm going to fight Flint tomorrow." I replied.

"Wow," Jack remarked. "Like… Stella good?" He asked. I smiled.

"Not quite as wild. We had a good start," I explained. He smiled back and held out his hand.

"Where's your egg?" he asked me. Flicker was in my lap, but he must have thought it was Saffron. I nudged Flicker awake and he yawned adorably, jumping up on my shoulder and curling up behind my neck. He promptly went back to sleep. I smiled and took his hand, letting him pull me to my feet.

"Here," I answered, pointing to the eevee. "His name's Flicker," I added. His eyebrows shot up.

"He hatched? It's a he?" Jack added. I smiled and nodded.

"He's been restless," I answered. Jack grinned.

"Has Aquatrix met her son?" he inquired as I picked up my bike and we began walking up the road. I nodded.

"I went back to your house when I was done, but Gideon said you were still out, so I came down here about half an hour ago and I introduced everyone to Boulder and Flicker," I told him. He smiled.

"How 'bout you?" I went on. "Did you catch anything?" He nodded proudly.

"Managed to find a dugtrio. I'm really pleased." I beamed up at him.

"Jack that's wonderful!" I exclaimed. "He'll be a great addition." Jack nodded. "Name?" I wondered. He smiled.

"The first thing he did when he saw me was use the move earthquake," he told me wryly. "Bad start." I giggled. "So I named him Quake." I smiled. Jack and I had a similar way of naming Pokémon.

"Beat any trainer's sorry ass?" I asked. He laughed.

"No. You?"

"Yeah. Fought this fellow from Sinnoh," I said nonchalantly. Jack's eyes went up.

"Sinnoh? Really? What Pokémon did he use?" Jack inquired. I smiled up at him.

"Get this. Eevee's sixth evolution." I told him. His mouth fell open and I smiled. "Exactly."

"Sixth? Shit, what is it, ice type?" he scoffed. I smiled.

"Spot on, old chum." He shook his head.

"How does that work?" he asked me, voice awed. I shook my head.

"It's the weirdest thing. It's called 'localized evolution'." He thought for a moment, then tossed his head, as if to shake away a bad notion.

"That can't mean what I think it does," he said, unconvinced. I grinned.

"It does. There's a place called Ice Rock, this huge rock tower up in the way north of Sinnoh. If you train an eevee there, it will evolve." He shook his head in wonder.

"That's incredible." He murmured as we passed the dirt path and got onto a street. "What other Pokémon evolve like that?" he wondered. I smiled.

"Actually, eevee-" I began.

"Another one?!" he exclaimed. I laughed. "Jeez, this Pokémon's like an evolution god!" he muttered. Flicker mewed from my shoulder, as if to remind Jack that he was there. I smiled. "Excusing your presence, good sir," he murmured seriously to my eevee. I giggled.

"It's called the evolution Pokémon," I reminded him. Jack shook his head.

"But that's Professor Oak's classification. This came way before even espeon and umbreon," he replied. I shrugged.

"What other Pokémon has three possible evolutions?" I queried. He sighed.

"Good point. So what's eevee's seventh evolution?"

"Leafeon. Grass type. Another huge towering rock in one of Sinnoh's bigger forests." Jack whistled. "Kyle said that Moss Rock and Ice Rock were created at the same time," I added.

"Kyle's the trainer you fought?" he asked absently. I nodded. "Wow…" Jack murmured. "Just wow. That's an incredible thing to see, a Pokémon connecting with the world like that." I smiled as he lost himself in thought.

"There are two more examples of localized evolution in Sinnoh, both in the same place," I piped up. He looked at me and raised his brows. "Mt. Coronet, this legendary mountain. Nosepass, a Hoenn Pokémon, and magneton, also evolve that." Jack let out another low whistle.

"I have to go there sometime. It must be an amazing place," he said wistfully. I smiled.

"That'll just have to be our next adventure," I said firmly as we turned onto Jack's street. He cocked his head at me and I held my arm out, as if reaching for the sky. "Jack and Ari team up again, this time to explore the realm of Sinnoh in search of legendary evolutionaries!" I said in a dramatic voice. He laughed.

"I can't wait." He replied.

-----

"Shit, I really don't feel like doing this," I whispered miserably, standing outside Pewter Gym, the next day. My stomach felt like rejecting the little I had eaten for breakfast that morning, an apple and some milk. I hadn't even been this nervous for my contest.

"Ari?" Jack prompted, putting a gentle hand on my back. I shook my head.

"I'm going to royally fuck this up," I told him, staring at the looming glass doors. Jack snorted.

"As if. You beat a trainer with sixteen badges, and you don't think you can beat the first gym leader in the league?" he reminded me. "I lose respect for you." I glared up at him and he stared back. I grunted and pulled open the door. I caught Jack's smile before he could hide it and smacked him gently in his stomach. My heart fluttered at the flat sound of his abs. Jesus Christ, it was really bad to be thinking like this right before a gym battle. I shook my head and strode through the plain foyer. When I passed another set of glass doors, I was on a rock field. A few rocks popped up around the edges, but inside those deadly white lines it was like a mountain. I swallowed as two trainers, battling, one other trainer, yelling orders to an onix, and a man who looked to be in his mid-twenties, directing a little girl on how to control a rattata, looked up at me.

"Are you here to challenge Flint?" the man asked. I nodded slowly. "All right boys, clear the field. "Cindy, grab your father, would you?" he said to the little girl. She nodded and disappeared as the man recalled the rattata. "Boys, up to the balcony to watch," he added to the trainers, who were quick to comply. The man strode over as Jack squeezed my shoulder comfortingly. He held out a hand. He was tall, with spiky brown hair, slanted eyes, and a dark complexion.

"My name's Brock. My father is the gym leader, and I'll be officiating your match," he told me. I smiled weakly and shook his hand.

"I'm Ari Nightingale, from Vermillion City," I managed to say. He smiled.

"Good luck," he said, nodding to Jack and heading off towards the sidelines, jumping rocks easily as an older man emerged from the door the little girl had gone into. He saluted me.

"Hello there!" he boomed in a raspy voice. "I'm Flint, the gym leader of Pewter Gym!" he continued. "I'd advise your friend to head up into the stands," he added, nodding to Jack. I froze. Jack squeezed my hand and kissed my cheek.

"Knock 'em dead," he whispered. I swallowed as he relinquished my hand and headed up a nearby staircase. Shit, shit, shit.

"So what's your name, young trainer?" he asked me, settling himself. I coughed.

"Ari Nightingale, of Vermillion City." I said as clearly as I could. He studied me.

"You look like Sara of Cerulean. Didn't I hear she moved to Vermillion when the Water Sisters took over?" he inquired. I nodded. Flint had been a gym leader for quite a few years, probably during the time my mother had been a leader as well.

"She's my mother," I replied, calming down. He laughed in surprise.

"Are you really," he commented. "We battled long ago, gym leader to gym leader, and she whooped me good," he said loudly, laughing. I glanced at Brock, who was shaking his head, and I smiled.

"I'd like to think I inherited half her skill," I replied. He barked a laugh.

"Excellent. You ready to get this going?" he said, pulling out a Pokéball. I chuckled

"As I'll ever be," I answered honestly. He smiled and I fingered Boulder's Pokéball. The officiator interrupted.

"This will be a one on one battle between Flint, the gym leader of Pewter City, and Ari Nightingale of Vermillion city. The challenger may switch Pokémon at any time, but the leader may only switch when a Pokémon has been KO'd." he told us. "The first trainer to two victories is the winner. Begin!" he shouted.

"Boulder!" I yelled, just as Flint echoed me. Two geodudes appeared in the air, glaring at each other. "Rock throw!" I ordered quickly. As if it were melting butter, Boulder ripped a chunk of rock from a nearby stalagmite and threw it at his opponent. He continued with a barrage of rocks, a few hitting their mark.

"Defense curl!" Flint countered. The enemy geodude curled himself into a tight ball, the rocks bouncing off him.

"Tackle!" I shouted. "Quickly, towards the ground!" Boulder stopped and shot through the air at an angle, knocking the other geodude to the ground. Flint smirked, thinking I was just going for a physical attack. "Now, magnitude!" I followed. Flint cursed and I smiled a little.

"Defense curl again! Ride it through!" Flint ordered. Boulder grabbed the grand and began to shake. I held my breath. Magnitude was a difficult and chancy move. Then, the official yelped and grabbed the wall. I saw the ground ripple as a fierce light burned from Boulder. I shrieked and stumbled back, falling on to my ass as tremor after tremor struck the ground. Flint was holding onto the wall. I noticed that the clear doors were plastic, not glass. These rock gym leaders are good, I mused as pain throbbed in my head. When the last tremor subsided, I scrambled to my fight. I pinched my nose and blew, popping my ears. Brock was steadying himself and Flint was shaking his head to clear it.

"Flint's geodude is unable to battle! Ari wins the first battle!" I shrieked in joy. I must have gotten lucky and Boulder must have used magnitude 10. Boulder rose into the air, relatively unharmed and pumped his rock fists in the air. I laughed.

"Take a break!" I called. "You did well!" He actually winked at me and I giggled as I recalled him.

"Aquatrix! Let's go!" She stood tall on the rock field and Flint raised his brows, nevertheless pulling out his own Pokéball.

"Onix! Come on out!" the huge Pokémon towered over my unafraid vaporeon and I glowed with pride in her.

"Water gun! Quick!" I yelled.

"Onix!" Flint replied simply. I hissed. Aquatrix had barely opened her mouth when that long, rocky tail wrapped around her. She yelped in pain as the onix expertly turned her towards the wall so she couldn't attack it.

"Rain dance!" I shouted helplessly. The rain pattered down on both of them, but to my chagrin, onix wasn't extremely affected.

"Tackle!" Flint ordered, smiling a little. Onix smashed his tail and Aquatrix into a rock and I bit my lip as Aquatrix squealed in pain.

"Acid armor!" I bellowed. "Try to slip out!" she glowed for a moment, and I could see her pushing on her assailant with her little paws. Onix looked curiously at her. I cracked my knuckles. "Stop! Use ice beam on his rocks!" I tried. She flickered out of light and the onix groaned in pain as Aquatrix completely iced on of his body sections. Flint cursed as his onix was rendered immobile by pain. "Keep going until you can slip out!" I ordered, regaining confidence. Soon she was out, balancing on a rock, breathing hard.

"Water gun!" I yelled, hoping she had it in her. Onix was still stuck in his curled position. An onix's tail was the key to every attack, and he couldn't move his.

"Dragon breath!" Flint ordered. The blast of fire and Aquatrix's water jet collided, steam billowing from them.

"Come on!" I shouted, frustrated, immediately regretting my angry words. "You can do it!" In a blast of steam, the Onix cried out and tripped backwards. Aquatrix was panting hard. "Just a little more, girl! Quick attack!" she slammed into the writhing Pokémon, who collapsed on the ground. Brock stared hard at the scene.

"Onix is unable to battle! Ari of Vermillion wins the match!" he called. Jack cheered and I breathed a sigh of mingled relief, disbelief and awe. I had just won my first gym leader.

"Aquatrix, you old girl, I knew you had it in you!" I crowed, running onto the field, dodging stalagmites and boulders until I could sweep her into my arms. She smiled and licked my face as I cuddled her to my chest. "Thank you," I whispered, returning her to her ball.

-----

"Jack, darling, let's go. Let's just leave." I said dreamily as we strode out of the gym, my shiny new badge safely enclosed in a small, black drawstring bag that Flint had given me. It matched the white bag with my Pokéballs in it. Jack looked startled that I had called him darling, and pleased that I was ready to go.

"Ari, dear," he drawled, "Are you sure?" he asked me. I shrugged and spun in a blissful circle before unlocking my bike. He chuckled.

"Absolutely," I decided. "Onward to new adventures," I said gallantly, eyes flashing in ambition. He shook his head.

"You should beat more gym leaders," he decided. I smirked as I mounted my bike. Spark, good fellow as he was, appeared in a flash of red and scurried up to my hat. I beamed.

"Pokémon Center, then Viridian forest." I said firmly. "When we get to Viridian, I'll treat for dinner." Jack sighed happily.

"You strike a good deal," he informed me. I winked. I was completely on top of the world. Jack's revelation of the night before no longer affected me. I didn't need him. I'd beaten a gym leader. Mom would be proud, but no way in hell I was going to call her and deal with _that_ family.

Fifteen minutes later, I was speeding down Pewter's endless downhill, the wind blowing me everywhere. I was on the street, but I was going fast enough not to piss anyone off. Jack watched me with amusement from the sidewalk, ready to catch me if I did something stupid again. But oh, hell no. This was my day, and nothing was going to ruin it. I whooped as the road flattened out. Jack joined me on the asphalt, his smile widening as we road fast past his street, streaked through the suburbs, and careened into the darkening forest.

-----

**Not a lot of interest here, hope you liked the chapter though. Some editing, not all. I might actually make my deadline! I know I keep changing my mind when I write my author's notes, but… Well, I'm a freak, I suppose. Um, I'm going to give five more chapters tops, for this story.**

**I made a typo in the author's not for the previous chapter, not EVERY person that answers a trivia question will get a prize, just the first person. I'll type up the prizes in next chapter, and the contest will probably go up the chapter after that.**

**Plus amour.**

**TSL**


	21. Getting There

**Thank you Madwoman! Edited chapter )**

"I'm going to have to let you know in advance that I'm afraid of forests," I told Jack warily as we folded our bikes into our bags, the sun not yet set but hidden behind the trees of Viridian forest. Jack stared at me.

"Are you really?" he asked, surprised. I raised an eyebrow and he shrugged, looking away. "You do just fine in caves," he reminded me. I shrugged.

"Yeah, well in caves, you're protected from above, there are no creepy noises, and most importantly, there are no bugs," I told him with a shudder. I glanced around the forest with eyes narrowed in distaste. "Caves are heaven." He chuckled and, to my surprise, squeezed my hand.

"Come on. I won't let any nasty caterpies hurt you," he crooned. I folded my hands by my cheek and looked at him with a huge, stupid smile and an innocent expression.

"My hero!" I swooned. He laughed and I grinned, resettling my bag. It was starting to get heavy, with the fossil I'd found in Mt. Moon, my bike, my clothes, and my Pokéballs. And my badge. Couldn't forget my lovely Boulder Badge.

"Viridian's not bad. Gideon took me through a few times when I was little to get to dad's," he said. I nodded.

"Whatever. The faster you get me out of here, the faster I feed you." His white teeth flashed in the darkness. I sighed as I was blinded one last time and the sun disappeared. Jack began to walk and I followed him obediently. The path was pretty clear cut, bordered by trees, but it wove and wove, and there were forks everywhere. We walked in mostly silence for about an hour as the moon rose behind us, giving us a little light. Jack seemed to know where he was going either way. I shivered as some kind of night Pokémon crowed a warning and unconsciously shifted closer to Jack.

"Maybe we should just stay at your mom's place for the night," I suggested softly, looking nervously around, waiting for some unknown bug-like assassin to leap from the shadows. Jack rolled his eyes.

"Calm down." He soothed. "I know this path really well." I bit my lip but silenced myself, keeping close to him. "Look, you see that little pouch on that tree?" Jack asked pointing to a tall evergreen. I nodded, seeing the little canvas sack.

"Inside is powdered corn. These little sachets are all over Viridian Forest, because Gideon and Dad use them to train birds to find their way through," he explained. They make a perfect trail into Viridian." I nodded.

"Okay," I said, taking a deep breath. Now that his path was concrete, I was more comfortable. Suddenly, there was a crash in the brush and I jerked sideways and away into Jack, who wrapped an arm around my stomach, looking ahead of me, waiting. My body against his, I could feel his tense, protective stance. There was a hiss and Jack covered my mouth with his hand as I shrieked. A pinser broke through a small hedge and galloped past us on all fours, closely followed by a ferocious looking scyther, its wings beating furiously, ignoring us as well. When their noise had faded away, Jack slowly brought his hand to his side. He looked at me, trying to breath.

"You okay?" he asked. I realized that he was trembling a little too. I didn't blame him. I nodded, biting my lip as he let me go. "Don't worry," he murmured calmingly. "Scythers and pinsers have always hated each other," he explained. I nodded again, just wanting to take his hand and not let it go until the sun came up and we were out of this place. I hated forests. Absolutely hated them. "Come on, let's keep moving." He pointed to another pouch. "This is the third one. Only three more to go." I nodded and hugged myself as we trotted onward. I was beginning to get cold in my tank top, collared shirt and khakis. We passed the next sack without a hitch and I breathed a sigh of relief. It was the next marker where we ran into trouble.

It was on one of two trees that marked the right path of a three-way fork. As I cocked my head to see it, the moonlight shined on something as Jack pointed it out to me. I narrowed my eyes as Jack strode forward. Following him tentatively, I shrieked and grabbed his arm, yanking him backwards. He yelped and fell as a hiss-click-click sound began.

"Oh god," I whimpered.

"What was that?" Jack asked angrily, brushing himself off and facing me.

"Jack, please," I whispered. His mad expression faded to confusion and I watched in horror over his shoulder. He glanced back and his jaw dropped as he whipped around. The insect on the web that had shined was at least half of Jack's size. He was warningly vibrant, with striped blue and yellow legs- all six of them. The head and body were purple and black, and those pincers could crush me. I swallowed as Jack slowly backed into me. The ariados hissed at him as he reached one arm around me, keeping me in his protection. He calmly reached into his belt, eyes firmly on the attacking Pokémon.

"Storm, ember," he murmured calmly. I watched from under his arm as the little growlithe appeared and barked fearlessly at the ariados, who clicked his pincers in amusement. "Come on boy," Jack growled. Storm yipped and blew fire at the Pokémon, who combated it with small darts. The fire never reached its target. Suddenly, everything flashed, turning negative. Jack whirled around and forced me down, bending over me.

"Shut your eyes," he commanded. I did as told, almost sobbing under his warm protection. Storm whimpered. "Take down!" Jack shouted. The growlithe barked. I heard a yelp and Jack cursed. "Flame wheel! Get the web!" he ordered. There was a tense not-silence and suddenly the ariados made a terrifying scream. I whimpered and Jack wrapped his arms firmly around me. I opened my eyes. "Good boy! Let's see ember again!" he ordered. Storm barked and the ariados hissed in pain. It cried out and Jack held me to him. "Close your eyes!" he roared as everything flashed again. I was sobbing now, confused. Something was messing with my head.

It was like my head was this small empty space, waiting to be filled. Tendrils of black whipped through it, curling and rippling. They widened, exploring the walls of my mind. Then they began to stick. I cried out in pain as the smudges of absolute darkness began to paper my brain. They plugged up everything, blocked light and consciousness. Suddenly, my mouth dried out, the darkness wrapping my tongue and teeth. Then I couldn't breath, whips of shadows plugging my nose. I was blind to the negative world, where the night shined like the hottest day and the moon was a terrifying black. That was my one relief. Sounds assaulted my ears before they, too, were closed.

------

"Come on, wake up. Ari, please. We need to get out of here, and then I'll take you to a doctor. Please Ari," the voice was deep and familiar, but pleading. I managed to open my eyes. It was mercifully dark, and my heart slowed when no shadows blinded me.

"Jack?" I rasped. My mouth was fine too. Dry, but free. My eyes cleared and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank god," he whispered. I rubbed my eyes and took a deep breath. He was kneeling over me, knees on either side of my thighs.

"What happened?" I asked quietly.

"Night shade and psychic," he murmured, brushing hair from my forehead. My eyes fluttered shut.

"Where's the ariados?" I asked. Jack pressed something small and round into my hand and I realized it was a Pokéball. I smiled in exhaustion as my eyes opened again. I let him take it and reached up to push his short hair away from his face. Dizzily, I left it there, smiling stupidly. He smiled sympathetically at me.

"I'm going to have to carry you out of here, aren't I?" he asked. I grinned.

"I'll be fine," I said, reminding myself to drop my hand. He nodded and sat up, then stood, holding his hands out to me. He pulled me to my feet and I promptly collapsed again. He caught me and raised an eyebrow. I shrugged.

"It may be a problem that I can't feel my legs," I decided. He smiled and scooped me into his hold. I leaned my head on his torso, ready to go to sleep.

"Don't try pegging this one on me," he warned. It was my turn to smile.

"Wouldn't dream of it," I said with a yawn. I had other things to dream of.

-----

Viridian's Nurse Joy was surprised to see us when we walked in the door of the Pokémon Center at about midnight. Jack had shifted me so that my chin was on his shoulder and my legs were wrapped around his body. He carried me like a father taking his little girl home from a long day of play, except that I'd been mentally attacked where the tendrils of night shade couldn't get to Jack's eyes. She quickly ushered us into a room and left a small draft for me to drink when I woke up. Jack released Flicker and he promptly cuddled up to my sleeping body. Then he went to sleep.

The headache I awoke with felt like a thousand grumpy men were bashing my skull in with leaden hammers. It took all of my strength just to open my eyes and see Flicker earnestly nudging the flask towards me. I dry sobbed as I grabbed it and forced the nasty stuff down my throat. Curling up again, I hid from the world. If hangovers were anything like this, I would never drink in my life.

A few hours later, cool fingers rested on my temples, and I opened my eyes. The concussing pressure had disappeared, leaving me covered in sweat but otherwise unharmed. Jack smiled at me, sitting on my bed. I smiled back at him.

"I owe you." I told him. He smirked.

"Doubly so. I never got dinner." I laughed and sat up, stretching my arms to the ceiling.

"Let me take a shower and you can show me Viridian after I feed you," I told him. He smiled and stood, helping me to my slightly shaky feet.

"I can do that," he replied. I hugged him tightly and grabbed a towel, heading into the tiny Pokémon Center bathroom. Before I could shut the door, Flicker, Saffron, Stella and Aquatrix squeezed in. I glanced at the small, box shower, and gulped.

"You're lucky Spark and Boulder didn't get in!" Jack grunted. "Feisty little rock," he grumbled. I grinned, closing the door and opening the shower. When we were all clean and dry, I returned to the room to get clothes, Jack asleep. I shrieked and he bolted forward, jumping to his feet and running to me.

"What, what's wrong?" he asked, searching me for wounds. I put a hand on my chest, gasping for breath.

"Christ on a fucking cracker, Jack!" I yelped. "Did you have to let him out in the room?" I whimpered. Jack's newest addition was hanging on the ceiling, watching me curiously. I backed into the wall, hugging myself, unable to not look at it. Jack rubbed my arm gently.

"Hey, it's okay. He's tame. I got it covered." He muttered calmingly. I shuddered and looked away. "Come on," he soothed. To my surprise, he ran a hand through my wet hair. I struggled to keep my eyes open and not lean into his touch. "He didn't mean to hurt you." I looked pleadingly at Jack.

"You weren't in my head. I know he didn't, but…" I trailed off, glancing at the spider Pokémon, who clicked his pincers questioningly. I shuddered. Jack sighed. "I'll learn to like him, just give me time," I pleaded. He sighed. "Just keep him in his ball until unless we're outside and we have space." I begged. He shook his head.

"Fine." He muttered. He turned and held his Pokéball out. "Flash, return." He returned to his bed and lay back on it, staring at the ceiling. I sighed and my body sagged. Why was he being difficult? Maybe he was hungry.

"Jack," I whined, hating the sound of my voice. "It hurt, I was… blocked. Everywhere. I was trapped inside my own head," I whispered.

"Look, I know," Jack muttered. I furrowed my brow. "He's been lurking in the forest for years now. He did it to me when I was your age." I bit my lip and slowly moved over to him, sitting tentatively on the edge of his bed.

"I'm sorry," I said, lightly twining my fingers into his. "I'm afraid. I can't help it. Give me some time," I repeated. He sighed and looked at me, squeezing my fingers gently. I smiled shyly and he let go. Wordlessly, I stood and grabbed clothes. I returned, my hair in a ponytail, wearing a plain white tee shirt, my grey vest, and my red tie with a pair of dark jeans. Jack smiled tentatively and I gave him a bright smile of my own, letting him know everything was fine. He stood wordlessly and we collected our things in easy silence, only breaking the quiet to laugh as Flicker excitedly shook himself onto a disgruntled looking Aquatrix, who was fully aware he was her son. She pawed him over and began to lick him as he squirmed. I giggled and Jack smiled. We slung our bags over our shoulders and I returned Aquatrix, who couldn't be out of her Pokéball without water for long. Flicker, however, made it clear he would not be confined. Shaking my head, we headed downstairs, thanked Nurse Joy, and strode into the daylight.

Flicker trotting ahead of us, tail raised high, we walked down Viridian's quaint streets, searching out someplace to eat. Finally, I pointed out a little café to Jack, who shrugged.

"I'll decide when I see how big the meals are," he informed me. I rolled my eyes, smiling anyway, and let him escort me inside. I quickly looked around, relieved by a "Pokémon Welcome Here!" sign. A woman popped up, dressed impeccably.

"Hello, a table for two?" she asked briskly. I nodded. "Outside or in?" I looked at Jack, who jerked his head out the way we had come.

"Outside," I confirmed. She nodded and took our menus, leading us outside to a neat set of garden furniture, a table and two chairs made of lacy iron. There were a few others under a neatly striped awning. A big tulip sat in a vase as Jack and I took our seats.

"Your waitress will be here in a moment," she told us. We nodded and Jack quickly cracked open a menu. Before I had even opened mine, he had snapped his shut, looking pleased.

"They have foot long subs!" he told me excitedly. I laughed.

"I'm glad you're happy," I told him. He was almost bouncing in his seat and I surveyed him over the top of my menu. Suddenly, he pulled a Pokéball from his belt and released it. Lunus appeared and promptly sat in the sunlight. For a night Pokémon, he certainly enjoyed the warmth. We both watched in interest as his nose perked up and he swiveled his head to stare fixedly at Flicker, who shrunk into my ankles. I raised my brows at Jack, who shrugged, before we looked down again. To my amusement, Lunus trotted over and picked up the eevee by the scruff of his neck and promptly trotted away, Flicker disagreeing loudly. I grinned at Jack, who smiled.

"He must have gotten his fathering skills from me," he decided. I laughed as a girl approached us.

"Hi, I'm Jenny, I'll be your waitress." She said, putting two glasses of ice water on the table. "Can I start you off with something to drink?" she asked.

"Diet Coke," Jack answered. She scribbled it down and looked at me.

"Mountain Dew," I replied. She nodded and disappeared. There was a brief silence as we sipped our water and thought. Finally, Jack inquired,

"Now what?" I smiled.

"I showed you what my mom got for my birthday, right?" I asked. He nodded.

"Any day Pallet-Cinnabar tickets?" he said tentatively. I nodded.

"Are you ready to fight Blaine, do you think?" I wondered. He bit his lip.

"Nah, definitely not. Flash is weak against fire, and Storm wouldn't be able to do much." He explained. "Quake and Azure could do some damage, but I'm not confident," he told me. I nodded.

"Well, I do want to go south," I informed him. "I've always wanted to go to Cinnabar, and maybe we could visit the Seafoam Islands?" I suggested. He smiled. "I mean, it just sounds like an amazing place to explore," I told him. He nodded.

"Are there any contests that you know of?" he asked me. "Are you even ready for another?" I smiled.

"Very. I didn't see flyers or notices for any, but I can look if we find the library," I suggested as Jenny placed our drinks in front of us.

"I couldn't help but overhear," she said tentatively, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, "But my boyfriend left for a contest in Cinnabar this morning. It's this Friday, I think." I raised my brows at Jack, who nodded. That would give us four days including today. I smiled at her.

"Thank you so much," I said. She smiled back and nodded.

"Are you ready to order?" she inquired. I glanced at Jack, who looked excited again. I hadn't even looked at my menu.

"Go," I said to him, scanning my menu and delighting at the Panini section. When she looked at me, I handed her the menu.

"The chicken pesto Panini?" I requested. She nodded and disappeared. As the door closed behind her, Lunus trotted back, looking pleased with himself. Flicker followed closely at his heels, dirt all over him. I sighed.

"Flick," I moaned. He beamed up at me and mewed, planting his paws on my thigh as Jack laughed. He stroked his umbreon.

"You teach him to be a man," he said firmly. Lunus purred, rubbing against Jack's shins. I sighed and dusted off my eevee, pulling him into my lap. I held up my glass, and Jack copied me.

"Cheers," I decided.

"To what?" he asked. I smiled thoughtfully.

"Everything."

-----

Jack and I relaxed that day. We found a camping spot just south of Viridian (stays of more than a night at the center cost money.) We would spend that day and the next in Route 1, stay in Pallet or just outside the day after that, and take the ferry to Cinnabar the next morning, train on the island for a day, and attend the tournament the next day. From there it was undecided. Our long-term plans always got turned around anyway. While we lazed away the day, Jack made sure to battle a passing trainer so we could eat out that night and buy supplies when we next needed them.

Tuesday, the next day, I managed to call my mom and tell her about my win. She smiled and told me not to let it go to my head, and also that I might pass Sam: he and one of his friends had started from Pallet the day before. While the new additions to our teams met (even Flash, hanging from a tree a little ways away), Jack and I talked and discussed tactics for my contest. It was a good rest day, and I didn't leave the campsite except to find water.

The next day, riding gently down the even Route 1, Jack and I took it easy again. We were in no rush to make a contest or a battle or a birthday. And Route 1 was beautiful.

"How did you catch Lunus?" I asked Jack suddenly, about ten minutes out of Viridian. He cocked his head, and Lunus, running beside him, glanced up at me.

"I wish I could say it was interesting, but I was wandering in Viridian Forest when he trotted out of nowhere and followed me home," Jack said with a smile. I raised my brows.

"Eevee's are like that, I suppose," I mused, glancing down at Flicker, who was thoroughly enjoying his ride at the front of my basket, pause planted on the front. Jack grinned and Flicker looked up at me.

"Wanna run with Lunus?" I asked. He nodded excitedly and I slowed a little, reaching in to pull him out, but he was already leaping to the ground, paws blurring to keep up with his father, who looked as if he would raise an eyebrow if he could. I smiled at Jack, who winked, and I blushed looking down at the smooth path again. We made Pallet town at about two, the route being notoriously short. I hurried to feed a cranky Jack while he ran into town for supplies.

When he was happily munching on a bacon-lettuce-tomato sandwich, he told me,

"There's this big thing in town tonight." I looked up from my apple, which had been bitten by so many of my Pokémon it was barely mine any more. "Well, it's every night," he explained. "Professor Oak is holding this week-long seminar on Pokémon. The town is absolutely packed. Tonight he's doing a showing on Pokémon abilities. Do you want to go?" he asked. I smiled.

"That sounds awesome." I replied. He nodded.

"They've set up this big stage on his farm and everyone will sit outside and have picnics and stuff," he went on. I was excited now.

"I'd love to go," I confirmed. "Is there an admission?" I wondered. He shook his head.

"You can donate to different charities, but you don't have to pay," he told me. I nodded.

"That's great. I'm excited." He smiled, wiping his hands on his pants. I put Spark on my log, still nibbling his apple chunk, as Jack got to his feet. I broke off pieces for Flicker and Saffron, and stood as well, taking the last bite and throwing it into the trees. I stretched.

"Now what?" I asked.

"Come on, let's get you ready for this competition. You should win this one, now that you've got Stella on your side," he said, beckoning to me. "She can battle Lunus." I smirked.

"You're on." I retorted, pulling Stella's ball from my pocket. As a trainer, I knew exactly which Pokéballs were which. You just knew. I tossed it in my hand as Jack led me away from our campsite to another little clearing, just by the road, and settled himself across from me, pulling Lunus' ball from his belt.

"First KO wins," he said simply. I took an offensive stance, legs spread, feet planted firmly, ready for anything. "Lunus!" he called. The umbreon barked, un-phased by the fact that he was battling me.

"Stella!" I said loudly, tossing the Pokéball into the air. As Stella bristled at her opponent, the ball landed in my hand again. I hoped this would work. I knew my odds though. Lunus was faster than any Pokémon I'd seen, so I couldn't rely on Stella's swiftness. I would have to go on her strength and her ferocity.

"Sand attack!" I ordered. The lavender cat swiped her paws this way and that, creating a cloud of dust that none of us could see through. "Now be ready, know the ground!" I added. She mewed her agreement.

"Lunus, pursuit!" Jack called, voice muffled by the dust. "Find her!" I clenched my teeth. A bark and a yelp were heard as the dust cleared away. Stella and Lunus were facing each other, hackles raised, teeth bared. Neither Jack nor I found out what had occurred. "Quick attack!" I winced as Stella was thrown back, but she landed on her feet, panting hard.

"Swift, then follow with your own quick attack!" I demanded. She barked in recognition and stars flew from her muzzle.

"Dodge!" Jack countered. I smiled. Swift was an infallible attack. The glowing stars pursued Lunus, as did my espeon. When swift locked him against a tree and grazed his side, Stella slammed into him, knocking him against the tree.

"Faint attack!" Jack hissed. Lunus disappeared and Stella looked around, alarmed, before the umbreon tackled her from the side. I gritted my teeth.

"Quickly, confusion!" She glowed all over and a blue light began to surround her foe.

"Confuse ray!" Jack barked. I wondered what would happen as Lunus struggled to shake off the blue glow. A sharp spike of black flared off him and wrapped around Stella, even as Lunus yelped in pain. I gasped as the blue glow grew on her too. She had attacked herself and Lunus. When they were both thrown free of confusion, they struggled to their feet, panting.

"Come on, Lunus, finish off with another faint attack!" the trainer bellowed.

"Tackle!" I screamed, hoping. Stella shook herself off and braced herself. Only when Lunus hit her did she shove back, pouring her strength into the attack. "Swift!" I yelled. Struggling against the stronger Pokémon, she shot stars at him again. Lunus growled and stood through the attack, still pushing at Stella's side.

"Bite!" Jack ordered. I covered my mouth with my hands as Stella cried out in pain and crumpled to the ground. There was a dead silence as I stood there, frozen. Lunus was panting hard, watching her form warily. When Jack straightened and nodded at Lunus, he carefully stepped over Stella and began to lick her face. I hadn't really expected to win, had I?

I had. I was getting cocky.

Jack was bending over my espeon as Lunus nuzzled her, and he scooped her into his arms. He glanced at me and I shook myself awake, hurrying over to them. I pulled her to me and kissed her forehead jewel. She licked my cheek and I smiled.

"Lovely battle," I murmured encouragingly. She mewed tiredly and I smiled, returning her to her Pokéball. I knelt down with Jack and stroked a pleased looking Lunus. "Good job," I said. He purred and rubbed his forehead on my knee. I smiled and looked up at Jack, who smiled back at me. We stood and he hugged me as Lunus twined through our legs.

"Hey, that's my sister!" A voice yelled. Jack pulled away and we glanced to the right, where Sam was dropping his bag, looking angry. The guy beside him, a friend of his I recognized from Vermillion, looked exasperated. I sighed.

"Sam, shut up," I groaned as he stormed up to us.

"No. You said he hadn't molested you yet," he informed me. I couldn't believe he remembered that.

"First of all, he hadn't. Second of all, he still hasn't. Third of all, hugging is not molesting!" I said angrily, crossing my arms over my chest, standing in front of Jack and staring him down.

"Well he doesn't have to do it in front of me," Sam growled. I rolled my eyes.

"Being two hours older than me does _not _give you permission to be a protective older brother!" I told him angrily. "And he didn't know you were there!" Sam crossed his own arms, trying to stare me down. "Should I beat your ass in a Pokémon battle?" I added dangerously. Jack coughed and I covered a smile. Sam glared at me.

"Not fair," he muttered. I nodded.

"That's the point. Now go have an adventure and leave me be," I ordered. He glared at me.

"As if! I'm not leaving you with him," he declared, jerking his head towards Jack but not meeting the older boy's eyes. Jack cough/laughed again.

"What do you have against him anyway?" I asked, bewildered. "He travels with me! He's done more good than harm. He hasn't done any harm at all, in fact," I added.

"I don't care," he replied, staring up at Jack. "I still don't trust him." I sighed in disgust.

"You're a freak," I muttered. "Dave, talk some sense into him," I whined to his partner. Dave grinned.

"I don't think that's possible," he replied. I grinned in spite of the situation.

"What will make you leave us alone?" I asked Sam, who stared at me.

"Nothing." He answered firmly. I snorted. He'd get bored fast enough.

"If you don't get out of my sight within the next five minutes, I will sick all of my Pokémon on you," I threatened. His stance wavered- he knew I was serious. He poked me in the chest.

"I will, but when something bad happens, don't blame me," he warned. I rolled my eyes.

"Like that'll ever happen," I muttered scornfully. "Four fifty seven, four fifty six," I counted. He glared at me.

"Go lose something else," he muttered, stalking away and grabbing his bag. Dave regained his blank expression but grinned and waved as Sam stormed out of site. I smiled and waved back. Suddenly, Jack had wrapped his arms around me from behind.

"You think he has something to worry about?" Jack murmured in my ear. My heart was pounding and my cheeks were red. Not knowing what to do with my hands, I hesitantly put them over Jack's. Tentatively, I leaned against him, watching the unending road.

"You'd be the first to know," I replied. It was true. If Jack had intentions…

"I suppose I would," he mused. He patted my stomach and pulled away. "You should run to the Pokémon center and get Stella healed," he told me. Biting my lip, I nodded.

"Yeah. I'll be back in a half hour," I replied, heading back towards the campsite and my bike.

**There it is. I'm going to say that I lied again in the last author's note, and this should be the penultimate chapter. (Hehe, penultimate.) Um… As a point of interest the ariados in the chapter is shiny, with changed coloring. In all my years, I've caught one shiny Pokémon. I think the statistic is one in 1875? There's one shiny Pokémon in the show, Ash's discolored noctowl from the Johto seasons.**

**Also, the contest is now posted in my profile! Read the rules!**

**Yours,**

**TSL**


	22. Blessings and Curses

**So, I got the main body done by the deadline. Total writer's block the last few weeks. I'm on spring break, so expect the epilogue before Monday, I guess, but don't hold me to that. Because I promised this would be the last chapter, it's 9200 words and just barely 19 pages. I actually edited this one. Enjoy.**

Four hours later, Jack and I coasted into town, the sun making its way towards the horizon. I took a chance to look at quaint Pallet Town, where people traveled from all over to start their journeys and meet the famous Pokémon Professor.

"This way," Jack told me, turning onto a long country road. Pallet was full of these farmhouses, which ended up blending into the little village quite well. I turned and followed him, and a huge windmill stood high against the sky. Jack smiled at my wonder.

"It's how he powers everything. Wind and solar," he went on. I whistled and Jack grinned. We turned up a long hill driveway. The farm was sprawling, with a huge but neat house just beside us. Jack explained that it was not only his house, but also that his assistant lived there too, and his labs were inside.

Just beyond a fence was a paddock clear of the Pokémon that clearly usually inhabited it. Instead, a huge, lit stage occupied the farthest part, which was a gentle downward slope. It was empty, but obviously ready. People were spread out on the lawn, with speakers dotting the perimeter of the pasture. We got off our bikes and Jack waved me forward. I stayed in his shadow, the sun setting throwing flashes of orange and red and yellow every which way. Suddenly an older brunette woman approached us.

"Hi there," she said. "Are you here for Professor Oak's show?" she inquired. I nodded slowly and she beamed. "Excellent. I'm Delia, one of Professor Oak's helpers for the evening. Can I put your bikes in the garage?" It was Jack's turn to nod and she waved us towards the house. She hit a button on the wall of the garage, and it opened to reveal an endless supply of gardening tools and fertilizers. "You can put them here," she added, gesturing to an empty space.

"Thank you," I said. She smiled and we parked our bikes. Flicker climbed up my offered arm from my basket, curling around my shoulders. Delia waved us on and towards the paddock again. A stack of blankets was rapidly decreasing and Jack snagged us one.

"Where do you wanna sit?" he asked. I looked around, lips pursed. I saw a lovely open spot just far enough from the nearest speakers with a perfect view. I pointed.

"Right there," I said. Jack smiled and led me there, fingers barely discernable on my back through my collared shirt. He spread out the blanket and settled himself as I curiously watched the stage. Techies were milling around, checking this, moving that. Jack tugged on my pant leg and I smiled, glad the darkness hid my blush as he nudged me into the space between his legs. I hesitantly relaxed into him, and he leaned on his arms. I must have been in heaven. If he hadn't been so firm in his declaration of not liking me, I would have been certain he did. Flicker climbed into my lap. We settled into a warm silence as the stage cleared. Finally, the woman we had seen earlier appeared on stage. People began to clap. Pallet obviously knew her. She waved embarrassedly.

"Good evening everyone! Welcome to Oak Laboratories for the Pokémon Professor's special on Pokémon abilities." She said into her microphone. "We'll be filming live, so we appreciate your cooperation," she went on. "And here he is now, Professor Oak!" Jack and I joined the raucous applause as the old man strode on stage, blushing. He accepted the mic from the woman and kissed her cheek. She waved and headed off into the darkness.

"Good evening, everyone!" Professor Oak said in his kind and old voice. "I'm glad you were able to make it here to my presentation. So I'll cut right to the chase," he told us. "Pokémon abilities have been around for as long as the Pokémon themselves. They've been developing as the Pokémon evolve- and not by evolutionary standards," he corrected quickly. "Not as they change form, but as they changed from simple animals to these awe inspiring creatures," he explained, smiling. "Their abilities evolved with their natures and their beings, their types and their spirits. The Pokémon slugma, found in the Hoenn region, has an ability called Magma Armor," he went on, twiddling a Pokéball in his fingers. It hadn't been there seconds before. "Magma armor has the special property of preventing a freeze condition during battle. Slugma!" he shouted quickly, tossing the Pokéball into the air. A curious, mucky creature appeared, oozing flames. Cool. There was scattered applause. "And here's my assistant, Gary," he added quickly. A tall, handsome twenty-something man walked onto the stage and the cries of applause were loudest from a group of girls not too far away. Gary gave a winning smile.

"The Pokémon dewgong is one of the most well known ice types. An evolved form of seel, dewgong knows moves such as icy wind, aurora beam and sheer cold. He also knows ice beam, which has a good percentage chance of freezing the opponent." He was weaving a Pokéball expertly between his fingers. A girl swooned.

"Show off," Jack murmured, breath warm in my ear. I smiled, suppressing a shiver.

"Jealous," I whispered. He twitched with silenced laughter. By this time, the slugma was staring curiously at Gary.

"Dewgong, come on out!" the young man called. The seal Pokémon clapped and cheered, but his horn gleamed dangerously in the stage lights.

"Now no one worry, we've got Pallet's own Nurse Joy to oversee," Oak assured us, gesturing to the nurse, who smiled and waved. "So please, enjoy."

"Dewgong, ice beam!" Gary ordered sternly. The dewgong barked and aimed the beam at the calm slugma. I bit my lip as the slugma grunted and was covered in ice, literally frozen solid. Then it began to steam. My mouth dropped open and the ice melted off. The slugma shook himself and the dewgong cocked his head. Then the crowd began to cheer. I smiled.

"Thank you slugma," Oak said, directing the slow Pokémon to Nurse Joy, who waited with a potion. Gary silently recalled the dewgong.

"Limber is an ability that prevents paralysis," he told us. "Pokémon that have this ability are persian, hitmonlee, ditto and Sinnoh's glameow." He went on. "Persian, let's go," he added. The crowd clapped for the smirking persian, who basked in his cheer. I rolled my eyes. Cats. Oak stepped in.

"Thunder Wave is an electric type attack. Its only purpose is to paralyze the foe," he continued. "Pokémon that learn this attack are Kanto's pikachu and jolteon, Johto's mareep and Hoenn's electrike. We have a jolteon to demonstrate here." Jack tapped my leg. As if I'd forget. Flicker perked up and I smiled, stroking his puffy mane. Oak threw up a Pokéball, and a jolteon appeared. Flicker's eyes practically glittered and I silenced a giggle.

"That's you someday," I whispered. He watched in awe as the proud jolteon growled at the unphased persian.

"Jolteon, thunder wave!" Oak commanded. The yellow spines crackled and a shimmer in the air passed and wrapped around the persian. It froze. A ripple passed through its body, and it began to wash itself. We cheered again. The two Pokémon were recalled. Jack pushed me up and I glanced back as I hunched over. Flicker mewed in displeasure. Jack resettled himself so he was sitting up and pulled me easily into his lap, resting his chin on my shoulder. There was no way he wouldn't feel my blush, his cheek just beside mine. Maybe Jack had been lying to his older brother. He relaxed his arms into my lap, absently tickling my eevee.

"Here's a different kind of ability," Oak told us. His eyes twinkled. "There are a few moves that trainers and Pokémon alike both fear and covet. These moves are specially designed to knock an opponent out in one hit. Only the strongest Pokémon know these. Sheer cold, the strongest ice attack, is known by Hoenn's huge walrein, and is said to be known by Kanto's legendary Articuno. Hippowdon, one of the greater ground types of Sinnoh, and our very own dugtrio can learn a ground move called fissure, another one-hit KO." He explained, looking seriously at us. "The move we'll look at is called guillotine, and is known by Pokémon with incredible pincers or claws."

"Kingler is well known for his giant claw," Gary continued, pulling out another ball. "Around level thirty-seven, he learns guillotine." He called out a kingler, barely a foot shorter than me. Gary looked at the Pokémon with a hint of disdain, and Oak sent him a barely discernable 'play nice' look. I grinned.

"The ability sturdy is protection from these terrifying moves," he said somberly. "Pokémon like rock-ground type golem, steel type steelix, and rock type sudowoodo have this ability. Magneton, come out!" the tri-Pokémon buzzed and shone with electricity. The kingler gave it a wary look.

"Kingler! Guillotine!" Gary called. The crab Pokémon wrapped his huge claw around one of the three magnemites. I winced, ready for the onslaught. Kingler gripped and gripped, but the three single eyes finally narrowed. With almost a sigh, the kingler relinquished the magneton, who turned and beamed at the crowd. They laughed and cheered.

"There are many other abilities, many that we can't see," Oak told us. "Both nidoran families, male and female, have one called rivalry, that raises attack in the face of a same-gender opponent." The Pokémon were recalled.

"Plusle and minun, from Hoenn, have the most unique abilities, which only work in contact with each other. If put into a battle together, each will have stronger attack power." Gary went on. "Hoenn's beautiful milotic, for instance, has an ability called Marvel Scale. If poisoned, asleep, frozen, paralyzed or burned, its defense will rise."

"Pokémon like doduo, kangaskhan, and houndoom will wake earlier from sleep using Early Bird," Oak chipped in. Then he smiled. "We'd like to thank you all for coming tonight. While it wasn't a long show, we hoped you enjoyed it," he said sincerely. Gary nodded.

"Tomorrow from nine until three we'll be having a workshop open to the public. Bring your Pokémon in. We'll evaluate their ability and teach you how to use it to your advantage," he explained. Murmurs broke out.

"Thanks again!" Oak called. People were getting up, talking excitedly about the presentation and the workshop. I never wanted to leave Jack's warm hold. Reluctantly, I let him push me gently to my feet, holding Flicker in one arm. Noting how tired he was, I returned him as Jack folded up the blanket. He wrapped a long arm around my shoulder as we headed out. We put the blanket with the rest and found our bikes under the watchful eye of a young man with spiky black hair, along with a few others. We took them and he nodded us off. It was only as I mounted my bike that I noticed the scyther lurking watchfully from the garage roof. Shuddering, I let Jack lead the way onto the road. It was a short, quiet and uneventful trip back to camp. We got ready for bed in silence. Jack was banking the fire when I returned from washing my face in a nearby spring. I waited until he was done and had stripped off his t-shirt to hug him goodnight. To my surprise (and pleasure), he held me for a few seconds, squeezing me extra tight before kissing my forehead and gently pushing me towards my sleeping bag. Blushing and floating on a cloud, I slid into my sleeping back, curled up with Flicker, and promptly fell asleep.

-----

The next day, I decided to buy a dress for my contests. I wasn't sure if there would be a Coordinator's Fancy to save my ass in every city. Completely out of clean clothes, Jack and I agreed that I would wear it to Cinnabar and wash it the next morning with the rest of my clothes before the contest. Sullenly, even though I didn't make him, Jack followed me into the little dress shop on Pallet's Main Street. Almost instantly, I found the right one.

It was perfect and summery, clean and bright and perfect for any occasion. It was bright white linen, strapless, and hung to my knees. A wide, black satin bow wrapped around to accentuate my bust and the stiff clothe spread at the waist. To my intense enjoyment, Jack was rendered momentarily speechless when I emerged from the dressing room. Then he smiled and told me I looked beautiful. I bought it, and a pair of cheap but cute black ballet flats, with money wired from my mother.

Growing up in Vermillion City gave me a love for the sea that nothing else could instill in me. The whole world depended on these seas, and the fact that we were sailing on the blood of the world astounded me.

The ferry from Pallet to Cinnabar was tiny. It made trips every half hour from island to mainland, and if you bought a ticket, you could take any ferry that day. On that warm Thursday afternoon, I was standing on the prow of the ship, my nose to the salty wind as the captain looked on with a smile. My flip-flops were beside me and I leaned up on my toes, balancing on the thin metal beam. My new dress was flapping in the wind, the stiff, new material snapping and cracking cleanly. My hair swept out behind me. Suddenly, a hand gently pushed it away and down my shoulder. Jack wrapped his arms around me from behind. I took a deep breath and relaxed, ordering my fingers not to clench around the bar.

"We're in your domain now, I see," I murmured calmly in my ear. I smiled. "When we were back at home," he began, "Well, my house. Not yours, I was talking with Gideon, and I realized something," he told me calmly.

"Mm?" I prompted, closing my eyes to the wind.

"I hope you don't think I'm creepy or anything, and I hate to have to admit your brother's right," he went on. My heart stopped beating and I had to force a sigh of relief back down my throat. The smile on my lips felt like it would be there forever. "But I think I've liked you for a little while now," he confessed. "And since I can't exactly ask you on a date, since we're already together all the time," he continued. I grinned. "I'd like to know if you'd consider officially being my girlfriend."

I wanted him to squirm.

"So official," I mused, still staring out into the sea. He sighed.

"So contrary," he retorted. "Answer the question, please." I grinned, glad he couldn't see my face.

"Hmm…" I drawled. He sighed and leaned his forehead on my shoulder. I smiled. "I'd love to," I said simply. I felt his body relax slightly and I turned to him, cradled in his large hold. I looked up at him curiously.

"To be serious, how much is going to change?" I wondered. He smiled.

"Not much, I hope," he murmured. Then he kissed me.

The thing about my first kiss wasn't that it was my first kiss. The thing about it was that it was Jack. I had cynically expected my first kiss to come as a dare, but the relief was immeasurable as I hesitantly put my palms on Jack's chest. And he wasn't bad either.

He broke away, took a deep breath, and smiled warmly at me. I smiled back, a shiver rippling past my shoulders. He looked past them, into the wind and the horizon where Cinnabar was beginning to rise. His green eyes shined the same way they had shined at me the other two times he had meant to kiss me. Even if he hadn't known it yet.

"When you realized," I said softly, looking at my feet. He glanced back at me. "Was it during that yelling contest when you swore to Gideon that you didn't like me?" I looked up and searched his face as he blushed. One arm still around me, he reached up to scratch the back of his neck.

"Kind of," he muttered, looking out past me again. "I think I figured it out when we got there and you sat down and listened to me rant," he confessed, looking down. I nodded and he looked up. "The whole Gideon thing…" he sighed. "You know a guy likes you when he denies it that adamantly," he said with a shrug. I smiled. He bit his lip.

"You weren't supposed to hear that," he added. I nodded.

"I get that a lot," I murmured. He smiled and I closed my eyes, leaning on his chest. He wrapped his arms around me again. Today would be good.

-----

"Ha, haha! Beat you!" I crowed happily, gasping for breath. Jack groaned.

"No fair," he grumbled. "You're a water child." I raised my brows.

"Jack, you're a foot taller than I am and completely jacked, excusing the expression," I reminded him. "There's no reason a thirteen year old skinny chick should have beaten you." He rolled your eyes.

"Duh, I let you win," he replied. I laughed. We were floating in Cinnabar's eastern bay, the one that was open to the public. Even though it was July, it wasn't that full on a Thursday evening, especially since everyone was in Pallet for the week. I was hanging onto the dock that floated, tied to the sea floor about a quarter mile out from shore, and Jack was treading water next to me.

I climbed onto the pier and he easily followed me up, muscles clenching as he pushed himself up. I couldn't deny that I was enjoying the shirtless view. The best part about the day so far was that Jack couldn't seem to get enough of me, now that we were 'together'. The word felt weird, but good, even in my mind. Further proving my point, said boy pulled me close to him on the moving dock, his lips brushing the corner of my mouth, as he stared over my shoulder at the sea. I liked that, that he didn't have to pay attention to me, that he could just keep me close. We were both soaked, and we smelled like seaweed. My hair was tangled and his was mussed, but I was happy anyway, as long as we were near.

I felt like such a pansy, thinking all these stupid amorous thoughts, but the fact was that it was true. I couldn't help it, and not for lack of trying. I finally had Jack, and I was satisfied.

"Sunset," I murmured. He glanced over his shoulder, the sun glancing off the water. It was almost picturesque to make me vomit, to tell the truth. But just this once, I pushed the cynicism aside as Jack turned to hold me from behind. He protected me from the cold wind blowing at my back and we watched as the sun began to disappear, staining the sky and the sea and the clouds and us all sorts of different hues. I covered Jack's hands with mine.

"Let's not tell Sam," I decided. He laughed.

"I can do that," he replied. I shivered as the sun disappeared behind a huge, decrepit mansion on the island. Jack rubbed my arms with his hands.

"We should head back," he whispered into my ear. Just because of the situation didn't make anything different. I shivered at the touch of his breath.

"I suppose," I said. I wanted to just sleep out here on the dock, wake up to the sunrise and the beauty and the sea and him. He pulled away and did the unexpected. I yelped. He jumped.

"Christ, I touched your ass, chill out, would you?" he breathed. He had patted my butt, nudging me to jump off the dock. I turned furiously red.

"Sorry," I mumbled. "I'm just not- oh whatever," I grumbled, diving off the dock. I didn't wait for him to paddle homeward. Boys.

-----

"Have you realized how incredible cliché we are?" I said softly. Jack sighed.

"Stop ruining things," he grumbled. I grinned.

"I'm sorry, I can't help it!" I protested, leaning back against the wall of the contest hall to look up at him. He shook his head.

"The woes of a cynic?" he drawled. I nodded morosely. There was a brief silence. I opened my mouth. "Yes, I did notice," he muttered, answering my previous question. I smiled. "Is it a bad thing?" he wondered, looking at me. I thought for a moment.

"Clichéd people always end up happy, so I suppose not," I mused. He sighed.

"You're contradicting yourself," he informed me.

"No I'm not," I retorted. "I never said that us being cliché was bad," I reminded him. He rolled his eyes, knowing I was right.

"Whatever," he murmured. I smiled and turned my face up for a kiss. He chastely pressed his lips to mine, then pulled away. "You should get going," he said, looking at the big clock that stood on a high lamppost just outside the hall. I sighed. Standing like this with Jack was preferable to any ribbon.

"Yeah," I replied instead. He stood away and took my hand. We walked around the side of the building and entered the lobby where I'd registered the day before. I took a deep breath when we got to door that led to backstage. He took my other hand and planted a kiss on my forehead. I blushed and he pulled away.

"You'll win this. I know you will," he declared confidently. I tried to smile.

"Thanks," I replied. He squeezed my hands one more time before gently nudging me through the entryway. I sighed and straightened determinedly, throwing my shoulders back and walking proudly. I felt like a pompous idiot, but it helped. For some reason, I wanted to win this more than anything. I wanted… I wanted to prove that I was worth it to Jack, however irrational it was. And it was completely irrational. I bit my lip as I came into the locker room, resettling my bag on my shoulders. I found a quiet corner like the first time I'd competed. Instead of releasing Aquatrix to the dry air, I tossed her Pokéball in my hand and contemplated the mysteries of life.

Except not. I wondered about Jack, and about stuff in general. What would happen if we broke up? _When,_ the cynic in me corrected. _You're just kids._ I sighed. I wouldn't grow old with Jack, would I? I mean, what girl wants to kiss one man for the rest of her life? I wrinkled my nose. Maybe I was just shitting myself. Who really knew? I sucked in a breath as the loudspeaker came on. The TV's perched around the room started up and I glanced at the one nearest me. The MC was on stage, rousing the crowd to cheers. I wondered where Jack was sitting.

With a sigh, I tuned out most of her words, fingering the slip of paper I'd shoved into the hem of my dress so I wouldn't forget. Contestant number two. Fuck it all. I sighed and stood as the feed from the stage was cut off.

"Contestants one and two, please be ready to go," the voice droned. I twirled my Pokéball on my finger like a basketball, let it slip into my hand and stood, pulling my bag off of my shoulder. Straightening myself again, I walked out of the room to the stage entrance, my shoes slapping on the linoleum. I parted the curtains the tiniest bit so I could see contestant one.

She looked to be about twenty or twenty-one. She had the calmness of a longtime coordinator, and wore a pretty pink satin blouse and a black mini-skirt. The MC introduced her as May from Petalburg City. I remembered that was in Hoenn. I watched interestedly as she called out a beautifly, another Hoenn Pokémon. I blushed slightly, remembering Taylor's beautifly. Her appeal was dazzling. Silver wind, which sent sparkling dust everywhere, morning sun, which lit up everything, shining on the flecks like a disco ball, and stun spore to add gold to silver. I let out a whistle under my breath, hoping to hell that if I made it to the second round, I wouldn't have to battle her. The stage was cleared and then it was my turn. I made a mental note not to search for Jack in the crowd. He would only distract me.

I stood up straight and gave my biggest smile, parting the curtains and walking through waving excitedly at the crowd, who whistled and cheered. I glowed with pride, even though I knew they did that for every contestant. I blushed at a catcall, tossing my hair behind my shoulders.

"And now, Ari of Vermillion City, and her vaporeon!" the MC exclaimed. I settled myself and smirked confidently. You know that bullshit, you'll never succeed if you don't believe in yourself? Not exactly bull shit. I spun Aquatrix's ball on my finger again, and called her out.

"Aquatrix! Bubble!" I ordered. She stood almost as proudly as I and did as we practiced, blowing four large bubbles about her size into the air above her. The crowd was silent, speculating. "Now, aurora beam," I went on. There was something about standing there in my new dress, the lights blinding and hot, and I knew something was going to go right today. Aquatrix sprayed that beautiful multi-colored beam at the bubbles, floating high above us, and they turned to hollow spheres of ice. The crowd gasped and my lip curled even more. "Water gun!" She barked and shot a jet of water at the first bubble, bouncing it into the air. She did the same with each until she was juggling them high above us.

The crowd burst into raucous applause. I was _so_ good. But I wasn't done yet.

"Okay girl, let 'em fall! Acid armor and quick attack!" I commanded. She barked and bent, hips wriggling like a predator about to pounce. When the balls began to fall. She covered herself in the glowing protection and shot into the air, smashing through each one successively. She landed perfectly on the ground, stance noble. My heart was racing. To my amazement, as I waved and beamed, I actually found Jack, standing on his seat, clapping harder than anyone. I began to laugh, bright red. I recalled my vaporeon and walked, trembling, back inside. I was glad we'd pulled that off. It had taken forever to think up, and just as long to perfect. When I entered the locker room, a few people applauded and I blushed hard, ducking my head. One boy clapped me on the back and I smiled shyly, heading for my corner again. I gripped Aquatrix's ball hard, thanking her.

-----

"Oh fuck," I moaned miserably, looking up at the TV. I was the third ranked in appeals. Everyone was paired with the next person. Fourth for appeals was contestant one, May from Petalburg. I was about to get my ass whooped. I couldn't say how I knew, or why I was so sure, but she just looked like she owned everything. I began to pace, my heels chafing, as the battle between the first and second ranked appeals battled. To my chagrin, appeal number one's delcatty was out in under a minute, number two's donphan pawing the ground, pleased. I stood slowly, put Aquatrix's ball back into my little white sack, and took out Stella's. She had been restless lately, and I knew she wanted this contest. I strode back out and behind the curtains while they switched fields.

Contest halls were specifically built so one field could be lifted in while the other was in the basement. There, the field would be repaired for the next battle. Finally, a stagehand, an eighteen or nineteen-year-old kid, waved me in. Cracking my neck, I strode out into the ring again, putting on my contest smile and waving to the crowd, who cheered for May and me. She was standing opposite me, a Pokéball tight in her grip. She smiled in a friendly way and I did the same, calmed by how nice she was.

"And it's Ari of Vermillion city with her espeon versus May of Petalburg with her blaziken. Let's give these girls a hand, 'cause this is sure to be a good battle!" she said excitedly. The crowd cheered. May and I nodded at each other.

"Blaziken! Let it rip!" she yelled, throwing the Pokéball. I winced at my foe. The thing was a foot taller than I, with a blazing crest. Stella was one sixth of its size. I swallowed.

"GIVE HER HELL, ARI!" A voice shouted. I blinked, and then began to laugh. Jack. I tossed Stella's ball into the air.

"You heard 'im!" I shouted happily, Stella appearing. She bared her teeth and growled at the blaziken. I was almost sure it would have raised an eyebrow at the little cat if it could have. "Psybeam, let's go!" I ordered.

"Double kick!" my opponent commanded. I winced.

"Dodge and don't stop!" I said. I realized as the blaziken rushed a tensed Stella that we had a type advantage. Thank goodness for small blessings. Stella skittered to the side and shot the aurora at the blaziken.

"Bulk up," May said firmly, stance unwavering. The blaziken crossed its arms over its chest and glowed for a moment as Stella hit it spot on. I smirked as the Pokémon wavered. But he stood tall. "Quick attack!"

Stella was in the air before I could say anything and I cursed. She landed in a heap but was up before anything could happen.

"Swift and follow up with confusion!" I yelled. She mewed and the stars began to chase the stoic looking blaziken. He combated most of them, but was hit several times by the little gold stars. While he was distracted, Stella's forehead gem began to glow and suddenly, he was in the air, shedding blue light, struggling and in obvious pain. May bit her lip. "Psybeam!" I shouted. The blue faded, but Stella was already attacking as blaziken fell to the floor. But he stood up again, bracing himself and facing Stella. That Pokémon was _not_ normal. May smiled.

"Blaze kick," the trainer said coolly. Stella tried to jump away, but the blaziken hit with incredible athletic talent. I groaned as she rolled to the floor and struggled to her feet, panting hard.

"Come on girl, quick attack, like you mean it!" I shouted. She hissed and slammed into the blaziken. The crowd gasped as she actually managed to knock him to the ground. He cried out in pain, his voice deep. "Close range psybeam!" I yelled, hoping to hell this was the end. Blaziken jerked up and she fell off, but the work was done. My shoulders sagged as the blaziken slumped to the floor. Stella stood over him, tense, hackles raised, teeth showing.

"Blaziken is unable to battle! Ari of Vermillion City is the winner!" the referee shouted. I blew out a tired breath as the crowd went wild. They weren't cheering for me, just for the battle. I knelt down as Stella trotted proudly over to me. Smiling, I picked her up and cuddled her in my arms. She butted her head against my chin and, making sure the MC was done talking, I quickly strode backstage. I was intercepted by a chancey, who gestured to a portable healing machine. Smiling gratefully, I handed her Stella's ball, and Aquatrix's for good measure. I thanked her and headed for the locker room.

Sporadic claps greeted me, and I blushed and hung my head. I found my corner, and a minute later, May found me there. She smiled at me.

"You fought an incredible battle," she said. I turned crimson as I stood.

"You too. Your blaziken is the most astounding Pokémon I've ever seen," I said earnestly. She laughed.

"Don't boost his ego," she said dryly. I smiled. "Your espeon is quite the Pokémon too," she added. I smiled.

"She doesn't like losing," I admitted. She laughed.

"Well, for what it is, I'm glad I lost to you," she explained. I cocked my head at her. "Six years ago, I was just like you, doing my first contest in Hoenn." Her eyes twinkled. "It's always good to see new talents showing up." She added, waving and departing. I scratched my head, shuddering at the thought of being beaten by a little girl six years into my contest career.

Fifteen minutes later, I stood, heart pounding, following the stagehand back to my spot behind the curtains. I was going up against an older boy and a Pokémon whose picture I recognized vaguely as being Hoenn as I settled myself. The stagehand whispered good luck and pulled the curtains for me. I beamed and waved as I headed on stage, nodding at the boy.

"And now, Jake of Lilycove City and his chimecho, versus Ari of Vermillion City with her espeon!" the MC cheered, bringing the crowd to applause. I'd never heard of chimecho, and didn't know what to expect.

"Stella, let's go!" I yelled, tossing the ball into the air. She appeared, fierce as ever, and I smirked.

"Chimecho, take down!" he ordered. This guy was all business. Then I snorted. I was expected to be afraid of a little puff with a tail? It was, in fact, a wind chime, the bell on the top of its head ringing excitedly.

"Don't get cocky," I told Stella, who also seemed perplexed. "Take a jump off!" She mewed and sprung into the air, bouncing of the top of the Pokémon's head and landing safely on her paws. She turned and sat, staring at the confused Pokémon. I grinned. Maybe we could get cocky. "Quick attack!"

"Chimecho, wrap!" he ordered. That long, flat tail grabbed Stella, but I grinned. She was just too heavy for the floating Pokémon, who squeaked and sagged to the ground.

"Swift!" I commanded. I could have sworn I saw Stella yawn before she shot the little golden stars at her opponent. Cocky girl. The chimecho cried out and drifted off. "Quick attack!" I repeated. She sprung into the air.

"Chimecho, shockwave!" my opponent yelled. I froze. Shockwave? Suddenly, the little wind chime actually looked angry, and I gasped as Stella was surrounded by glowing electricity. She yelped in pain and my eyes narrowed as she fell to the floor. She growled up at the little chimecho, who appeared to taunt her, ringing its bell as it danced in the air.

"Confusion!" I demanded. She glowed and the blue was reaching for the chimecho before Jake ordered another shockwave. "Dodge!" I yelled. I saw a smirk on his face as the lightning forked from where Stella had been to where she was. My jaw dropped open as she suffered the attack again. I cursed. It must have been one of those 100 accuracy attacks. Then I smiled. I had one of those.

"Stella, you can do it, swift!" I shouted. She shook off sparks from her fur and shot golden stars at the chimecho. It tried to bat some away with its tail. "Quickly, while its distracted, quick attack again!" I continued. She mewed and followed her stars, slamming into the Pokémon, who jerked back.

"Double edge!" Jake cried. Stella was hissing in pain before I knew it. I chewed my lower lip as the chimecho shook itself off.

"Psybeam!" I ordered.

"Shockwave!" he countered.

"Just keep attacking!" I yelled desperately. "You got this!" True to her fighting nature, she kept up her psybeam even as the shockwave made her whole body tremble. Then I slumped in relief. The little chimecho had stopped its shockwave, and was now dancing in the air. It was confused.

"Tackle and tackle hard!" I encouraged. Stella tossed away the last of the sparks from her fur and slammed into the dazed Pokémon. It was down for the count.

"Jesus Christ," I grumbled under my breath as Stella turned her nose up at the fallen Pokémon and trotted back to me, tail waving like a banner. She planted her paws on my thigh, demanding to be picked up. Smiling and shaking my head, I scooped her into my arms and waved to the crowd, heading back to backstage. My stagehand put a hand on my arm and I glanced at him. He smiled.

"Good job. Don't bother going back to the locker room, you'll be fighting in just a few minutes," he told me. I nodded and returned Stella to her ball before handing her to the chancey. I smiled and bowed a little to her as she returned my espeon. Instead of keeping her in my hand, I released her to stand at my feet.

"Who am I fighting?" I asked the stagehand, who grinned.

"Anders and his typhlosion." He told me. I groaned.

"Two completely evolved fire starters in one day?" I muttered mutinously. He chuckled.

"All the better to prove yourself," he replied. I smiled, touched that he believed in me.

"Thank you," I said. He nodded and listened to something on his headpiece. Then he nodded.

"Okay, miss. The field's ready." He informed me. I took a deep breath and he smiled again. "Knock 'em dead." I smiled back and he pulled the curtain back for me. I proudly strode out onto the battlefield, waving at the cheering crowd. Stella basked in the attention as we stood at our place. My opponent must have been about twenty-two or twenty three, tall, lanky, with a stance and expression that meant business.

"And in our final battle, for the winner of this contest, it's Ari of Vermillion City with her espeon, Stella, and Anders of New Bark Town with his typhlosion! Let's see what these trainers can do!" the MC exclaimed, bringing the crowd to their feet.

"Stella!" She dashed onto the field, tail whipping, poised.

"Typhlosion!" Anders said calmly, clicking the button on the Pokéball. I swallowed hard.

"Shit, meister," I cursed. That thing was taller than me, made of pure leathery skin, muscle and sinew, with flames blasting from its shoulder blades. Oh crap. At least Stella wasn't afraid. The idiot.

"Smokescreen and quick attack," Anders commanded. I cursed.

"Just be careful, and keep moving!" I told her as smoke enveloped the field. She meowed and did as told. I saw her lavender shape skipping around as the Johto Pokémon dashed from the smoke, then immediately back in. "Swift!" I said thoughtfully. It probably wouldn't do much, but it was worth a shot. "Work a radius!" I added. I heard a muffled call of a sent and grinned when the little golden stars began to force the smoke away. Then I winced as she cried out and typhlosion stood above the haze, having knocked her out of the way.

"Quick attack!" I yelled. Stella was far from finished. She dashed back into the battlefield as the fire type looked around warily. She sprung from the ground and slammed into his torso. He stumbled but didn't fall. "Confusion, quickly!" I went on. Blue showed her location before it spread to the typhlosion. He struggled against it, obviously feeling something, before throwing it off.

"Flamethrower," Anders replied easily, as if commenting on something. I gritted my teeth, the last of the smoke fading away.

"Just be careful and do your best!" I told Stella, who readied herself, leaping at the burst of flame, springing from place to place until she fell, hit by the blast. I bit my lip. "Psybeam!" I instructed. The typhlosion stumbled back under the fierce fuchsia beam. "Tackle!" Stella followed her attack, slamming into the typhlosion's chest and knocking him back.

"Double edge," Anders commanded. To my surprise, the typhlosion picked Stella off his chest by the scruff of her neck and threw her to the ground. I gasped as she whined in pain. Something occurred to me.

"Future sight!" I yelled. As a trainer, you just knew when a Pokémon learned a move. Time froze for half a second and my espeon stood, blasting a magenta ripple through the contest hall before things became normal again. Typhlosion shook himself off and blinked, inspecting Stella almost curiously.

"Ember," Anders said. Stella backed off to brunt the impact, but knew trying to dodge would only waste energy. My hands clenched.

"Come on, sweetie," I cried, "Confusion!" she glowed feebly, and the attack lasted for only a few seconds before typhlosion shook it off. Suddenly, I tensed. So did Stella, Anders, typhlosion and the MC. I smiled. "Quick! Distract him! Swift!" I commanded. Stella shook herself and then stood tall and proud, as if meaning to go out in style, and blasted a gold shower of stars at typhlosion, who held up his arms. All of a sudden, that purple ripple was back. It slammed through typhlosion from behind and his eyes widened. He roared in pain and fell to the ground. Stella seemed confused, even as the referee looked closely at the typhlosion. Then he stood back. I hissed in relief as my green flag went up.

"Typhlosion is unable to battle! Ari of Vermillion City is the contest champion!" he shouted. The noise made my ears hurt and my head pound as I sank to my knees and Stella limped over, burned. I wanted to hug her, but my stagehand handed me a small bottle. It was a full restore, an expensive and all healing item. I smiled at him and sprayed Stella, who basked in the warm liquid, which quickly dissolved into her skin. She licked her paw once then rubbed against me. I scooped her into my arms as I stood. Anders had approached, and I shook his hand.

"Very good match." He said, and disappeared. Fairly trembling, I walked over to the MC, standing with the three judges, Mr. Contesta, the Pokémon Contest Director, Mr. Sukizo, the Pokémon Fan Club president, and Nurse Joy.

"So Ms. Nightingale, how does it feel to win your first contest?" the MC asked me kindly. I smiled weakly.

"Pretty cool," I said dryly. She laughed.

"Do you plan to coordinate in more contests?" she asked.

"Definitely," I replied with a smile. "Stella and Aquatrix are just the best," I added, letting Stella curl onto my shoulders.

"Anything you want to say to the fans?" she inquired, gesturing to the crowd. I shrugged.

"Thanks for coming out, I guess. It's you guys that makes this so much fun," I said, grinning as the crowd cheered wildly. I found Jack, standing leaning against the railing, smiling at me. He knew I'd seen him and pointed encouragingly at me. I grinned. Contesta approached me, holding a velvet cushion, my winning ribbon on it.

"As Pokémon Contest Director, it's my pleasure to give you this ribbon for your victory," he said, pinning the little green ribbon to my dress hem. I shook his hand, then Sukizo's, who was jabbering excitedly about Aquatrix. I smiled and nodded until Nurse Joy gently nudged him away and kissed my cheek. I waved to the crowd one last time before walking off stage. As I entered the darkness of the curtains, I smiled wryly at my stagehand and held out my palm.

"Good working with you," I said. He grinned.

"Hope to see you coordinating again, miss," he said, shaking my hand firmly. I waved, thanked the chancey again, and trotted into the locker room. It was completely empty, all the other coordinators having left when they lost. With a sigh, I kissed Stella's forehead and returned her, slipping it into the little sack pinned to my bag. I slung the bag over my shoulder and took a deep breath, dodging the custodian and heading through the dim corridor and into the lobby again. I walked in and was immediately assaulted by the press.

"Ms. Nightingale, is this really your second contest?" one woman asked, shoving a microphone under my nose. I blinked.

"Y-yes, it is," I stuttered. I'd won a contest. Who gave a shit? The second place wasn't getting any attention, I noticed, seeing Anders walk out alone. I tried to find Jack.

"And how long have you been traveling?" a man asked.

"Um, three weeks-" I began.

"Only three?" A third voice probed. I was starting to get nervous. I didn't like having a lot of people around me.

"Yeah-" I tried, looking in the spaces between their elbows and sharp cut suits.

"Is your mother really Sara of Cerulean Gym?" the first woman asked suddenly, a finger pressed to her earpiece. I shrunk at the murmur of suspicion.

"Yes she is-" I retorted, ready to defend myself.

"Did you catch your vaporeon yourself?" the second man interrupted. I bristled, knowing the truth would be misconstrued.

"I trained her myself. Everything she is came from me," I said proudly. I saw a space between two women, afternoon light streaming through the glass doors of the contest hall.

"But did you _catch_ her?" he pried, a predatory look growing in his expression.

"I didn't steal her, if that's what you're getting at," I said snidely, starting to tire of them. "Excuse me." I pushed passed the second woman and strode to the door. I flung it open and saw Jack before I was blinded by the sun. I broke into a run and slammed into him, dropping my bag. He grabbed my thighs and lifted me up, kissing me deeply. I tightened my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. I pulled away, gasping and completely red. He grinned at me.

"I was right," he murmured. I smiled back.

"Yeah," I hummed, eyes half-closed. All was pretty much right with the world. "I'm happy." He chuckled.

"I'm glad," he replied. He kissed me again, holding me with one arm and cupping the back of my neck with the other.

_Oh goody,_ I thought giddily.

"Ms. Nightingale?"

It was drawled. Cocky, exasperated, annoyed, holier-than-thou, scolding. Deep, masculine, older. I pulled away again, preparing to glare and tell off the reporter. Then I froze, my jaw falling open a little, my eyes wide, any retort dying in my throat. He smirked.

He was older, with silvery hair shining in the light. Similar silver eyes glinted at me from under bushy but aristocratic brows. His nose was large and hard, with a knob that suggested it had been broken once. Thin lips were framed by a frowning mustache, a sharp goatee and a trimmed beard. Surrounded by a solid jawbone, wide cheeks and broad shoulders, at almost 6' 8", he was imposing as shit. I pushed away from Jack, also looking up at him. Jack frowned and took my hand, but I pushed it away.

"Mr. Lange," I whispered embarrassedly, dipping a little bow. Christopher Lange was the most well known coordinator in the whole of Kanto. He smiled thinly.

"A word, if I may tear you away from your activities?" he said. It wasn't a request. I flushed darker.

"Of course, sir," I murmured hands folded neatly, eyes downcast, even though my douche sensor was rocketing off the charts.

"Alone," he said, giving Jack a pointed look. Jack bristled and gripped my hand. I looked at him pleadingly. He was clenching his teeth, looking up at Lange.

"Just a second," I pleaded with Jack.

"Why can't he say it in front of me?" he was obviously asking Lange, who gave me a look that clearly read "now or never."

"Jack, please," I murmured desperately. He sighed in disgust and walked off, hands jammed into his pockets.

"You would do well to teach your boyfriend some manners," Lange drawled, mockery clear in the word. "Real coordinators do not let their partners interfere in business," he told me knowingly, inspecting his immaculate fingernails. I gritted my teeth.

"What may I help you with, sir?" I asked slowly.

"You showed potential in that contest," he answered, staring at me. _Potential?_ I thought angrily. _I won the goddamn contest!_ "Obviously you're nowhere near being a consistent winner, those battles were mostly luck." He told me. I wanted to punch him in the face. He was still watching me, eyes locked on mine. He had this way of staring at you but letting you know that he was staring at you as if he was staring at some shit on the ground. "So I'm going to offer you something that I only offer to a coordinator once every three years," he went on. "A scholarship, if you will," he told me, searching my carefully blank expression.

"Under my sponsorship, you will travel the Hoenn region for two and a half years. I will pay for everything- amenities, food, room, supplies, and clothing- while you travel." My eyes widened. Not even the daughter of a former gym leader/politician/current upper-class restaurant chef could afford to pass that deal up. "My staff and I will check in on you while you travel, and you will be tested for improvement at every city you pass," he went on coldly, telling me he was serious. I suppressed a shiver. "When you have traveled all the major cities and competed in every contest I can find for you, you will participate in Hoenn's Grand Festival. If you win the contest, you will receive a five thousand dollar bonus from me, and I will become a contact if you ever need anything. If you do not," he threatened, eyes glittering, "we will sever all ties. You will never hear from me again, and you will never claim that I sponsored you." I swallowed hard.

"I understand, sir," I said. I couldn't believe I was getting this chance. This was amazing.

"Do you know why your sponsorship will take place in Hoenn?" he asked me.

"Because contests originated in Hoenn?" I guessed.

"Partly, and partly because you have no family or connections in Hoenn. No distractions, shall we say." I swallowed. That couldn't mean what I thought it meant. His eyes bored into me. "As such, I will only sponsor you." Oh, it definitely meant what I thought it meant.

"Jack can earn his-" I began.

"Absolutely not," Lange said furiously. I shrunk. "He is nothing but a distraction to you and your training. If you choose this journey, you leave him behind." He informed me. "Real coordinators don't let their partners interfere in business," he repeated. I nodded, my breath stuck solid in my throat. I couldn't breath, couldn't think. He cupped my chin in his hand and forced me to look at him. His long fingers were icy cold and I shivered.

"Arabel do understand what I'm saying to you," he said slowly and clearly. "This opportunity is once in a lifetime. Any coordinator you meet would kill to be you right now, and if you pass it up for a boy, then you clearly do not have your priorities in order." He hissed. I was shocked to feel cold metal on the hand that held my jaw. What sane woman would marry this man, obviously disgusted by the mere thought of love?

"Yes sir," I said. He relinquished me.

"Your eevee evolutions," he said. I nodded slowly.

"I set out with the intention of collecting all five," I admitted, flushing. He let out almost a disgusted sigh.

"You may persevere with your dream," he muttered disdainfully. "Though if you continue, they had best be formidable contest opponents in the contest hall," he warned me.

"Yes sir," I repeated. He pressed a card into my numb hand.

"I expect to see you in Vermillion Harbor in three days time, prepared to leave. If you or your parents would like to contact me, my number is on that card."

"Yes sir," I whispered again.

"I will meet you at the docks with your ticket to the S.S. Lilac. Be there promptly at eleven AM, Sunday morning." He straightened and strode off. I was absolutely, completely lost. I had just given up Jack, my home, my dignity, everything I knew, for a man I didn't even like. For my career. I sagged, feeling myself about to cry. I stared at the card for a long while. It was ten minutes before Jack came over. He took one look at me and wrapped a long arm around my waist, letting me sob into his shoulder.

"Ari, what happened?" he asked, rubbing my back. I couldn't reply. He rubbed my back gently until my tears turned to hiccups. I could barely look at him, but I forced myself to.

"That was Christopher Lange." Jack nodded in recognition. "He's sponsoring me on a three year journey to Hoenn," I said. He knew there was something else there. Suddenly, his eyes hardened, hiding the disbelief and betrayal as he backed away from me.

"You're going alone?" he asked. "You're leaving? Two days and you're leaving?" he said, incredulously. I nodded. "Ari- fuck it, please don't leave," he begged, cupping my cheek in his hand. "You're actually going to leave?" he whispered.

"It wasn't my decision," I hiccupped. "He said you couldn't come," I choked out, crying again. He yanked his hand away and turned from me, arms crossed over his chest. There was a long and stiff silence between us as I stared at my fingers. Finally, he turned to look at me, appraising me gently. I looked up at him.

"When are you leaving?" Jack asked me quietly. I coughed.

"I have to be in Vermillion Sunday morning," I murmured. He sighed.

"Do you have the tickets for the Cinnabar ferry?" he wanted to know. I nodded and pulled the return tickets out of my bag. He took one and I swallowed, knowing what it meant.

"This really sucks," he said. I nodded heavily. He put his hand on my shoulder and kissed me sweetly. When he pulled away, he pulled a napkin out of his pocket and wiped my face, as if I was a little kid.

"I can't actually believe that it was only three weeks," he said. I nodded morosely. "Or two days," he added. I hiccupped in agreement.

"So I'll see you in a couple years?" he said, resettling his bag on his shoulder. I sucked in a shuddering breath.

"Yeah," I said.

"Bye Ari," he replied.

"Bye Jack," I answered. He strode away, out of the big courtyard of the contest hall and disappeared into the road. I sighed as I touched the little bow on my dress. And to believe that I had thought everything would turn out just fine. This ribbon was much less a blessing than a curse. I straightened, brushed myself off and headed the same way Jack had. I'd go to the Pokémon Center to call my parents, then the ferry. I'd ride to Viridian and take the train from there. Walking slowly down the road, I wondered about my decision.

"Oh hell," I muttered, annoyed. "It's not like I was going to marry him."

**So are you heartbroken? If you are, you're going to die when you read the epilogue. Some notes on the chapter…**

**Author's Notes;**

**TO clear any confusion up, this takes place about six or seven years after Ash Ketchum's journey. I tried to keep the ages of the known characters equal to that.**

**THE kingler is Ash's. That's why Gary gives sit a funny look.**

**THE guy guarding the bikes is Tracy.**

**YES, that's **_**the**_** May of Petalburg.**

**CHIMECHO can learn shockwave via TM 34**


	23. Not Quite the End

**Three Weeks Later**

Lange was a man of his word. I was thoroughly cared for. It was like I wasn't even traveling. I had lost track of the number of times on this journey that I'd happened upon a fully made campsite, a fire burning, supplies ready to be cooked into my dinner. It was good tonight, a vegetable mix to fry with soy sauce, a small baguette, and a few chicken tenders from a restaurant in a Styrofoam box. A hot chocolate mix even sat on top of the chicken. It didn't go together, but it was easy to cook and good to eat. Five apples sat there as well, to be split up among my Pokémon. Per usual, there was a note resting on a log that had been pulled up to the fire.

_Arabel,_

Lange never called me Ari. It was always Arabel or Ms. Nightingale.

_Very nice work today. Your pichu has shown great improvement._

My eyebrows shot up. He didn't give out compliments lightly, and he disliked Spark, ever since the pichu had bitten through his favorite tie.

_I know about your thunderstone. I want your eevee evolved before the contest in Mauville this Monday._

I made a face. How did he know absolutely everything?

_A jolteon will be of much more use than an eevee, considering you already have one. Speaking of your other eevee, I want her appealing in the Lavaridge contest in two weeks. Have her trained by then. I'll be bringing the TM Secret Power when I see you next, as well as an Everstone. I don't want her evolving by mistake._

Jesus Christ. I should have been used to this, but I now had little control over anything in my life. I touched the two ribbons pinned to my bag, staring absently at them. However much I hated him, he was the reason I'd won two of four contests in the last three weeks, not counting my Cinnabar win.

_As for my next visit, expect me tomorrow at three. I need to teach you how to deal with the press. At one, Dennis will be there to battle with you. He'll have my instructions._

Dennis was Lange's right-hand man. It was usually him that set up my campsites, and who battled and helped me with my appeals. He was a generic kind of guy, without much visible emotion. He didn't talk much.

_You'll be at this site until Monday, when you leave for the Mauville contest. I want your surskit evolved into a masquerian by then. Level twenty-two._

_Lange_

I sighed and rubbed my eyes, putting the frying pan Dennis had left on the stand over the fire. Every day I walked Hoenn and trained, I thought more and more on how bad this decision had been. Some nights, as I cleaned up from dinner, I wept with exhaustion. Some nights, I lay awake, wondering what Jack was doing, my family, my friends, Sam. Realizing again and again it would be years before I saw them.

"Talk about selling your soul to the devil," I muttered, throwing the vegetables on the pan and picking up an apple, beginning to cut it. When all the apples were sliced to my satisfaction and the vegetables on a plate, I called out my Pokémon. For the first time, Aquatrix was in my PC box. Lange told me I needed to be able to use any Pokémon in a contest. Stella was gone too. I surveyed them as I dished out the apples.

Saffron, Flicker, Spark, Skitter, my surskit, Flora, my roselia, and Avi, my swablu. Also, the egg that Aquatrix had laid the week before. I beckoned to Flicker, who climbed into my lap. We were bonding closely lately. I missed Jack, and Flick missed his parents. I buried my face in his mane, dreading the day when Lange would make me turn eevee fluff to jolteon spikes.

Later that night, I lay in my sleeping bag, curled around Flicker, my egg just between us. I had sent Jack a letter two weeks ago, and then again two days ago. No reply yet. I fought back tears, wondering if he hated me. Wondering if he missed me. Why hadn't he returned my letters? I sighed and shook my head, burrowing deeper into my sleeping bag. I wouldn't send him another until he replied.

**Thanks for sticking around, I suppose. Give me three or four weeks to post the sequel. I got all of my information from (check it out, it's an amazing resource) and the Fire Red/Leaf Green guidebook. Total 191 pages, 94,000 words. Thanks Madwoman, you own everything.**

**Yours,**

**TSL**


	24. Sequel Note

AN:

For those of you subscribed to the story and not to me, the sequel is up, but my username's been changed, so you wouldn't know how to find it. Sorry for the wait.

Thanks,

PepperPOP

-Formerly, The Sherberty Lemon


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